Mending Dreams
by Seraphina DW
Summary: At age 17, Naruto committed a crime so terrible & taboo that no one in Konogakure is allowed to know. But Sasuke does and he wants revenge. Revenge on Naruto's life. [NEW] Chap 11 is up: Will Sakura be able to convince Sasuke to change his mind? SasuNaru
1. Whose Shattered Dream

Disclaimer: Can't say I own Naruto (c) Kishimoto Masashi, but I do own this story. 

***

**I: Whose Shattered Dream**

    A quiet breeze wandered through Konohagakure, rustling the forgotten bits of debris lying around the village and offering a cool solace to anyone who needed it - but no one was outside. It probed the empty streets and the closed shops with curious questions whispering through the barely budding branches of the trees; only silence prevailed until the young wind settled comfortably in the creaking of a lonely old rope swing that was tied to a tree not far from the Ninja Academy. Perhaps, once a long time ago, a boy who had often taken ease in the arms of the reliable old swing would have enjoyed all the secrets the wind had to tell, but now, the swing remained empty in its lone existence, forever waiting for that boy to come back with his brilliant laugh and bitter smile.

    Yet, past the nicks and cricks of hidden alleyways, past the uncharacteristically quiet Ichiraku ramen shop, up a rickety old building's stairway and into an unkempt studio apartment was the very same boy, his hair as radiant as ever in the morning sunlight and his eyes as blue as the near cloudless sky outside his closed window. His body lied on his bed in a dreamless sleep, awkwardly curled around a twisted tangle of a white sheet and a yellow blanket that knotted around him in an almost choking hold. At the bottom of closed eyelids, trembling eyelashes shimmered with crystal liquid being released down wet trails that were traveled down many a time before along pale, thin cheeks scarred by the last remnants of a demon. A short hacking sound tried to escape his throat, and the boy sprung up into a sitting position while struggling to disentangle the sheets and blanket about him. While throwing the offending fabrics off the bed, he coughed dry coughs that burned his aching throat before fully opening his eyes, blue as the sea on a sunny spring day.

    Immediately, a sleeping slumped figure with black circles under his eyes leaped up from the wooden chair placed by the bedside to hand the coughing boy a glass of water from the counter of his nightstand. He patted the boy's back as he had done countless of times at all hours of the day and night during the past week. Worriedly, his eyebrows furrowed while he once again wondered when the pain would free this boy alas. After putting the nearly empty glass back onto the nightstand, the tired man was about to sit back in his chair when a flurry of yellow and pale peach lunged at him, holding his shirt tightly between clenched fists as if he were about to leave forever. A sigh escaped his lips, and he sat on the bed and gathered the boy into his arms as he had done repeatedly before, but it never seemed to be enough. His shirt was always stained with the trails of wet tears and before they could fully dry, his shirt would be stained with fresh marks of sadness. Comforting whispers he gave to the boy were hardly coherent to himself for he hardly knew what he was saying anymore; he hardly knew what to say after repeating the same actions over and over again.

    The boy's head began to lean heavily into his chest, and he knew at once that the child had fallen asleep against him, crying, again. He carefully laid his head back onto his pillow splotched with moist stains and untangled the mess on the floor to cover up the sleeper. It was already morning and soon Konahagure would be waking up, but despite what hour it was, the boy in the bed would only continue to either cry or sleep. Sometimes, and it was not rare, he unconsciously did both at the same time. It was an ordeal trying to get the boy to eat or drink anything at all, for he barely had the appetite and was hardly awake enough to consume all three meals properly. Nevertheless, the man in the chair was at his side, either watching over him or preparing what little food he could get him to eat. The bags under his eyes never faded away and his hair was always up in the messy ponytail he constantly wore; his jounin vest was long forgotten as it hung on the same hook it had given home to for the week. 

    Iruka smiled fondly at the ramen poster hanging on the wall next to Naruto's bed. He remembered how the once annoyingly loud boy loved to eat ramen like each day was going to be his last. His energy was always full and never dwindling, his emotions always obvious although for the past few years, he had been a happy boy and nothing less. Iruka never had a true reason to worry about him although he did anyways. However, now that _that_ had occurred, the one other event the whole village would never speak of again, Iruka could not help but spend all his time taking care of his former student who was the only person he considered as family. He had to make sure his former student, who resembled him in uncountable ways when he was a child, would be strong enough to continue with life, continue being a ninja, and rise above the pain. He had to be certain, beyond all doubts, that Naruto would recover and be strong enough to fulfill his only dream. For if he could not, Iruka would never forgive himself, but above all else, he would never forgive Sasuke.

***

AN: So that's the first bit. Tell me what you think ^^;; 


	2. Departure at Sunset

**II: Departure at Sunset**

            Dusk fell upon the small apartment. The light coming in between the drawn blinds over two windows by the bed made diagonal, gold-tinted rectangular shapes over the sleeping figure in the bed and the one sitting in the chair. Golden light spread over the wrinkles of the blanket on Naruto's bed, slightly touched the child's own golden hair and gave color to his otherwise pallid skin making an almost ethereal effect. The man in the chair had half his face cast in the shadows for his head was hanging over his chest with strands of loose hair wafting in the air above his forehead protector. A light tapping on the door was heard, and the man jumped up from his seat. He stood up, scratched his head idly, squinted his eyes from the light pouring directly into his face, and went past the kitchen table towards the door. First, he checked through the eyehole, then checked the level of chakra behind the wooden door before opening it.

            "Hey, Iru-"

            "Quiet, he's still sleeping," Iruka whispered hoarsely, berating the older man in front of him.

            The man with a white mane and two red strips down his face frowned. "Yah, yah, how's the brat doing anyways?"

            Iruka moved aside to let Jiraiya into the small apartment. "He's only slightly better than a week before. He barely ever stops crying."

            Jiraiya snorted. "What a wimp."

            Iruka immediately glared at Naruto's other teacher. "Jiraiya-sensei, if you're here to talk him down, you don't need to stay," he warned coldly.

            Jiraiya walked over to the bed, noting how clean the apartment was. Scrolls were neatly tied and stacked in a corner and the kitchen table was cleared of the usual empty cups of ramen and overdue cartons of milk. 'Iruka-sensei really has cleaned the place up,' he smiled at the thought of Iruka housekeeping for Naruto. 'What a slob this kid is,' he thought lazily and looked at the sleeping boy whose face was slightly damp with sweat and tears.

            'Damn, fool,' Jiraiya thought bitterly. 'This shouldn't have happened to you yet.' Upon further thought, he realized, "No, this shouldn't have happened to you at all."

            "But, it did," Iruka commented. Silence pervaded the small room. Then Iruka spoke up again after clearing his throat, "So, how's Sasuke doing?"

            "Just the same as before. It's a surprise he hasn't destroyed his whole damn house by now." Iruka only nodded and was about to sit down before Jiraiya gestured with his hand for him not to. "Iruka-sensei, you need a break. I'll take care of the kid for a bit while you rest up at home."

            The chuunin was at a loss. "But, I-"

            "No. Go home. I'll make sure Naruto's up and ready for training soon enough."

            "You don't-"

            Jiraiya turned to the chuunin, slightly irritated, "I know perfectly well what he's going through. Iruka-sensei, just go home. You need the rest. Feel free to check up on the other annoying brat, but I warn you," a dangerous gleam glinted in Jiraiya's eyes, "he's not the same as he used to be."

            Iruka nodded his head solemnly and slumped his shoulders in defeat. He was inexplicably exhausted from taking care of Naruto and plain worrying too much. Taking one last glance at his student, he ruffled the messy blond hair lightly and walked away, nodding a goodbye at Jiraiya before putting on his jounin jacket and leaving the apartment. All of a sudden, after closing the door, he felt a tug at his heart, and when his hand lay flat upon the area in pain to soothe away the hurt, he realized he was feeling a heartache.

* * *

AN: Well, there's your dialogue. Next chapter will be either be about Sasuke or when Naruto finally wakes up. I'd like to quickly thank all my reviewers. Remember, this is all about what Naruto did, not what Sasuke did. 

SoccerMexi - Thanks for the compliments. I can't really help the format; it just looks even more weird any other way, so just increase the text size. That might help. 

GWFascination - Um...not exactly. Sasuke didn't abandon Naruto and the village doesn't know anything about their sexual orientation, haha, although I'm sure Sasuke's fan club would love to know. 

Bishiehuggler - Nah, Naruto's not super uke, he's just in a lot of pain and distress, and we all know how emotional he can get :]


	3. At Ichiraku

**III: At Ichiraku**

The steady thuds of footsteps were swallowed up by the noise of life in Konohagure. Pouring out from the open doorways and patios of restaurants was the hum of bustling voices which was topped only by the bright lights and lanterns lining the lively streets. Ninjas of all statuses had either just come back from missions or were spending the night with family and friends before going out on one the following morning. Yet, whatever plans each person had in store did not matter to the one man whose footsteps were the most lonesome and heavy of all the people out that night.

A familiar dash of gray and green caught the man's eye, and his stomach grumbled in an uncomfortable protest as his mind was quick to come to a conclusion. His burdened footsteps brought him to the counter of the Ichiraku where he sat next to his instantly recognizable companion. After greeting the chef and placing his order, he fidgeted and tucked loose strands of hair back under his headband.

"Good evening, Kakashi-sensei," Iruka finally spoke up whilst noting that the jounin's usual sleepy eyes looked even more tired than before.

"Evening, Iruka-sensei. You came to ask about Sasuke?"

Iruka fidgeted again, his fingers nervously tapping nearly inaudibly on the countertop. "Yes, I did. How...How is he doing?"

Kakashi warily eyed the chef who placed steaming bowls of ramen in front of him and Iruka. The oblivious, old man continued to tend to his other customers while a young waitress paced around to get various utensils and dishes. The gray-haired ninja then settled his eye on his companion and sighed.

"Sorry, I will have to tell you later under more discrete conditions. Perhaps, after dinner," he replied before pulling down his mask with one finger.

Iruka blushed immediately at the rare sighting. He had never seen Kakashi without his mask before, and quite frankly, he was a handsome man. However, even his normally ten-second meals took triple the time to finish. The chuunin hastily ignored the other shinobi in order to try to focus on his own meal while silently hoping the redness would fade from his cheeks. Before he could even take his first bite, the jounin's face was already half-masked again, but as exhausted as ever. Nevertheless, he did not take his leave and patiently waited for Iruka to finish his meal before the two men paid and left the Ichiraku to talk about serious matters that needed a more isolated surrounding.

"Where are we going?" Iruka asked while following Kakashi.

"The training field. No one should be there at this hour," Kakashi said before disappearing in a puff of smoke, leaving the scene of a brightly lit street and bumbling crowd behind him.

Iruka, a bit startled at first, followed suit and found himself in the darker grounds with only the moonlight to guide him. He saw a figure standing in front of a rectangular stone which he knew had the names of martyrs carved upon it. Walking softly on the slightly moist grass, he stood next to Kakashi, feeling their body heat mingle in such close proximity.

"You still miss Obito-san," Iruka stated quietly.

"He was the last member of my Anbu team," Kakashi muttered before paying his respects to the cenotaph.

Kakashi did not have to explain. Iruka knew the whole story for he had witnessed the aftermath of Uchiha Obito's death. That night, he had been out with friends to celebrate his new job as an assistant teacher at the Ninja Academy when he had seen, out of the corner of his eye, a limping, bloodied Anbu soldier leaning against another Anbu who was escorting him to the Hokage Tower. Immediately, Iruka had a gut feeling that something important had just happened - something that would change his life as a Konoha ninja. Thence, he convinced his friends to accompany him to the tower.

Using various mastered genjutsu, which were his specialties, Iruka somehow managed to sneak his way past the Anbu guards. His friends, however, had not been as lucky, and even though Iruka felt somewhat guilty for leaving them behind, he had to find out what had happened to the Anbu. He transformed again to camouflage into the wall when he heard footsteps hurriedly coming his way. Two Anbu guards rushed past him as he held his breath and lowered his chakra for better invisibility. After they had gone past, he sniffed the air for the scent of blood and found the doorway to the medical room of the tower. He then slid himself between the nearly shut doors while sinking himself in the wall while watching the Hokage comfort the injured Anbu soldier who was sitting on the examination table.

A pang resounded in his heart as he looked upon a scene that was too similar to the one when he was only a child, crying in front of a cenotaph while the same Hokage consoled him. He watched the other Anbu bandage up the hurt soldier who was resting his head on the Hokage's shoulder, stains of blood blotching the whiteness of the Hokage's sleeves.

The soldier lifted his head up all of a sudden and stared into the Hokage's eyes with question. He, in turn, smiled and shook his head gently while picking up a small pouch that was laying in the Anbu's hand. He opened it up and took out what appeared to be a round object.

"I can probably guess the meaning of this, Kakashi," Hokage's tone was dull but disapproving.

"It was his last request, Hokage-sama. I am prepared to fulfill it," the Anbu said monotonously. "But..." Iruka watched Kakashi's profile as he lowered the Anbu mask off his chaotic shock of gray hair down to his nose, revealing both of his eyes. "I cannot in the presence of a spy." Iruka gasped as Kakashi turned his head; a deep scar connected gaping flesh and muscle of an empty eye socket that shifted while the other good eye looked directly at Iruka.

The Hokage sighed and patted Kakashi's shoulder. "Iruka, you should come out now. That level of genjutsu is really no use. I suppose this gives me a good opportunity to lecture some of the Anbu for slacking off."

Kakashi covered his whole face with his mask again and waited for the petrified Iruka to come out of hiding. The chuunin hesitantly slid out of the wall, his head down to avoid any eye contact with the Anbu. The other one who had been attending Kakashi warned Iruka with Sharingan eyes and finished wrapping up hit bare torso with white bandages that were slowly soaking with red.

"Hokage-sama, requesting permission to leave. Kakashi-san should be fine. His wounds are not too deep and should heal in a few days."

The Hokage nodded, "Very well, Itachi. You may leave." The soldier bowed. Iruka's breath hitched as the Anbu who, at a closer look, was a mere boy only a fear years younger than he, walked past him.

After the doors had closed, the Hokage scowled. "Iruka, what was your purpose for coming here?"

Iruka fiddled with his thumbs, eyes darting side to side for a proper excuse. "I, uh, I, Hokage-sama, I came because...Because-"

"Never mind, Iruka," the elder sighed and put his forehead into the palm of his hand. "I don't want to hear whatever creative excuse you've come up with. Be useful, for once, and escort Kakashi home."

"Hokage-sama," Kakashi was about to protest.

"Kakashi, I will do what Obito-san requested as his dying wish. Afterwards, you are to go home and rest. We will talk tomorrow morning." Kakashi bowed his head and proceeded to lie down on the table. "As for you Iruka, wait outside. Tell the Anbu standing there that they are to come in when I am finished operating on Kakashi."

Iruka bowed and left the room to face two masked Anbu guards glaring in his direction. He sulked and slid past them to wait on the floor with his back against the wall. He was still unsure of why he had gone to the tower in the first place. Vaguely, he wondered how his friends were doing. Standing up, he remembered what the Hokage had requested of him and he timidly approached the soldiers.

"Um...Hokage-same request-"

"Yeah we know, kid. Just sit down and don't try anything funny," one of the soldiers snapped back.

Iruka cowered and sat back down on the floor. Just then, the doors burst open, and Kakashi, with his mask on top of his head and one hand covering part of his face, stumbled out only to slam his shoulder against the wall. He groaned in pain while the bandages reddened further.

"Kakashi-san, don't move too much otherwise we'll have to dress your wounds again," one guard helped him to stand properly.

"I'm fine," Kakashi insisted and took his hand away from his face to reveal the Sharingan briefly to Iruka before swiftly covering his face up with his mask again. "I don't have all day to wait for you to stand up."

Iruka jumped to his feet and took the place of the Anbu guard. He hefted Kakashi's arm around his shoulder and was careful not to touch his wounds as they limped down the hallway. On the way back to Kakashi's home, which was unsurprisingly on the farthest point away from the Hokage Tower, they had managed to converse, mainly small talk, but at least it was something to fill the silence. When they exchanged some basic information, Iruka was oddly delighted when he had found out that Kakashi was only two years older than him.

Once at his doorway, Iruka released his hold of Kakashi who was about to open the door when he turned to Iruka. "Tell me the truth. Why were you at the tower tonight?"

The other young man fidgeted again and blushed with nervousness. "I...I really don't know. I just felt like I had to be there."

"Ah," Kakashi responded.

Awkward silence lapsed between them for a few seconds before Iruka spoke up, "Wh-who was that other Anbu soldier? He seems dangerous for a kid."

"Yeah, he is. He'll probably be Anbu captain in a few years after I quit."

Iruka didn't know what to say so he once again looked down at the ground before feeling a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"Do you want to come inside? It's pretty late, so you can stay the night unless you have a curfew."

Iruka smiled and shook his head, "I don't. I'm the only one living at home."

"Thinking about that night again?" Kakashi's voice interrupted Iruka's flashback.

"Yeah. A lot happened," Iruka stared at the cenotaph before bowing in respect.

The two men walked out into the training field that had grown from the sweat and tears of multiple generations of ninjas over the centuries in silence. Twinkling bright pixels of stars blinked in and out of sight up in the dark bluish hue above the trees and mountains. Suddenly, Kakashi came to a halt and raised one hand to scratch the back of his neck. "Ah, Iruka, about that night, I'm sorry for what happened."

"It's okay. I know it must've been hard for you to deal with losing your whole team and someone close to you," Iruka stared off into the trees. He needn't be reminded of the time he had lost his parents. The grief had been overwhelming.

"So...you don't regret it?" Kakashi's one visible eye regarded the chuunin inquisitively.

Iruka turned back to face Kakashi. "No. Don't see why I would." He grinned mischievously at Kakashi who felt a blush rise to his masked face. "Anyways, we came here to talk about Sasuke, right?"

Kakashi's eye widened in his absent-mindedness. "Ah, right. Yes, Sasuke. That guy..." He stared off into the horizon in deep thought. "I don't know if he is strong enough to overcome his loss. To be frank, I'm not upset over what happened. I think it was for the better, thanks to Naruto. But now everything's at stake. What a price to pay over this selfish Uchiha." He shook his head and looked at Iruka for answers. "Sasuke is about ready to commit suicide. Tsunade-sama has him under careful supervision in the Hokage tower. She disabled him from using any jutsus as a precaution."

Iruka stood still in shock. "Is it that bad?"

Kakashi looked at him straight in the eyes. "Yes."

The chuunin shook his head. "Naruto is probably just as bad. He continues to sleep and cry all day. Jiraiya-sama is taking care of him right now, but I hope he won't be too harsh on Naruto."

"You shouldn't worry," Kakashi smiled. "Jiraiya-sama knows what he's doing. He probably knows Naruto as well as both you and I do."

Iruka nodded doubtfully.

Kakashi approached the chuunin and took him into his arms. "Tell you what, why don't you spend the night at my place and we'll both go to check on Sasuke tomorrow morning."

Iruka nodded again and tightly held onto Kakashi. They remained in their embrace for a few minutes before Iruka was calm enough to make his way back into town. The stars glittered softly in the night sky as the full moon made her presence known above the treetops. And in the steadying silence of the night, one man's screams were muffled by unhearing walls that caged him in.

* * *

AN: As requested, I wrote a longer chapter. This is not going to become a KakaIru fanfic. I didn't even intend to include any hints of a relationship between them, but this is how it turned out. Ok, so maybe the _next_ chapter will be about Sasuke ;; BTW, if you caught any mistakes in any chapter, please tell me as I don't have a beta reader. Thanks!


	4. Approaching the Brink

**IV: Approaching the Brink**

            "Are you ready, Iruka?" Kakashi asked while adjusting his face mask in front of the bathroom mirror.

            "Not yet. Give me a minute," Iruka responded from the adjacent bedroom. He walked up to Kakashi and peered in the mirror as he tied up his hair.

            Kakashi stepped behind the other man and put his arms around his waist while kissing his bared neck.

            A bright red colored the Iruka's face. In a weak protest, he squirmed out of the jounin's arms and mildly complained, "Kakashi, now's not the time."

            "It was just a kiss, Iruka."

            "Still..." Iruka walked out of the bathroom, a frustrated look on his face. "I'm sorry, I'm just really nervous to see Sasuke."

            "Ah," Kakashi muttered as he grabbed his novel from the nightstand next to the bed. "Ready to go now?"

            Iruka nodded and followed Kakashi out the door.

* * *

            The day was bright and clear for autumn, and the wind was reduced to a gentle breeze. The sun shined through the sparse clouds above in the blue sky. However, the smell of fall was still distinct as the two men walked side by side in the nearly empty streets of an early Sunday morning. They never spoke a word nor made any contact with the each other, leaving Iruka feeling quite isolated and lonesome. He wished Kakashi would perhaps put an arm around him or brush against him even slightly so while they walked, but the jounin did neither. Nervousness only latched more firmly onto Iruka's heart when the Hokage Tower loomed before them.

            He felt hesitant, reluctant to take a step inside the building. The Anbu guards standing at the entrance did not help, but then he felt a gentle yet persistent hand on his back and knew he had to continue. They were not questioned by the guards, surprisingly enough, and entered the building without hassle. As soon as they entered the main lobby, a messenger ran towards them.

            "The Hokage will see you now. Please hurry."

            The two teachers exchanged looks and teleported to the entrance of the Hokage's office.

* * *

            "Separate them? There must be another way."

            "I'm afraid not, Kakashi."

            "Kakashi," Iruka gently placed his hand on the other man's arm. "I think this is for the best. Sasuke and Naruto both need some space and time alone."

            The jounin jerked away from Iruka's touch and glared at him. "I don't need you to tell me what's best for them. They might have been your former students, but you have had many come and go. They have been my first and only team, my team to lead. Don't assist me with my job."

            "Then it is your job to do what's best for the team, even if it means dissolving it temporarily," Tsunade looked solemnly at the jounin. There was no alternative. The Hokage had made up her mind.

            Kakashi sighed in defeat, "Yes, Hokage-sama," and turned around to look outside the window.

            There was a tense moment of silence before Iruka spoke up, "Will we able to see Sasuke today?"

            Tsunade raised her eyebrows then frowned. "I'm not sure. It depends on his condition. Follow me."

            Iruka and Kakashi exchanged looks and hesitantly followed the Hokage out of her office and down the corridor. After making several turns, they arrived in front of a double door guarded by two masked Anbu. Tsunade nodded to them, and they immediately swung both doors open, clicking their heels as they held the way. The trio arrived at a narrow spiral staircase that led downwards. Cold gray stone walls were dimly lit by small torches undoubtedly fueled by chakra.

            "No one knows of this stairwell nor the chamber to which it leads," Tsunade said as they made their way down the stairs.

            "Ah, I can't even remember how we got here," Iruka said, feeling slightly uneasy.

            "I used genjutsu. Even though I trust both of you with my life, I can't take chances."

            Iruka watched the descending figure of the Hokage while he stood still in temporary shock. The powers of the Hokage overwhelmed the chuunin; he began to feel a sick ache in the bottom of his stomach and the first waves of claustrophobia. Kakashi paused in back of him, patiently waiting for his companion to continue walking.

            When they arrived at the bottom, they came upon a small chamber, equally gray and cold as the stairwell. Two Anbu soldiers were sitting at a table in front four surveillance screens, while two others stood guard outside what appeared to be a thick steel door. They greeted the Hokage respectfully, the two at the table immediately standing, while she spoke in a sotto voice. The two Leaf ninjas stared at the lone figure in the middle of each screen.

            "How is the boy?"

            "He has calmed down considerably since this morning. It appears that he is contemplating something. He hasn't moved from that position all day."

            "Has he eaten?"

            "Yes, in fact, he ate half of his meals and drank all his water."

            "Good."

            "Excuse me, Hokage-sama, but is this kind of internment necessary?" Iruka asked, feeling more uneasy by the second.

            "Yes. It is by all means necessary. I will explain my reasons to you later, but now," she turned to the guards, "I must know if he is ready for visitors."

            The two guards at the table looked at the two other ninja then at each other. One spoke up, "We are not a hundred percent sure of his readiness, but we suspect he is in good condition to receive other visitors. We only advise you both to be cautious and ready at all times to evacuate the cell."

            A tight knot twisted in Iruka's chest at the Anbu's words. Kakashi nodded and walked up to the doors after taking off his holsters and putting all his scrolls onto the table. Iruka began to follow when Kakashi put out his hand to stop him and shook his head.

            "Let me go first."

            The chuunin was about to protest until he noted the solemn, determined look gleaming in the jounin's eyes. He nodded and stood by Tsunade, looking almost fearfully at the unmoving figure on the screens.

            "Sasuke-san," an Anbu spoke into a microphone, "you have a visitor." The dot on the screen did not acknowledge the statement with any sound or movement.

            The two Anbus at the steel doors put their hands together, their fingers and hands moving so quickly that all one could see was a blur of black. Red chakra crackled and glowed around their hands before they pushed their palms flat against the door and undid the seal.

            "Remember that seal, Hatake-san. It's the only way to exit," one guard instructed. The jounin nodded and passed through the steel doors that never opened. Worried black eyes never left the screens as one black dot slowly approached the other.

* * *

AN: I apologize profusely for the long wait between chapters. I originally intended to update this fanfic weekly, but with schoolwork and plenty of tests coming up, I don't think I can keep my promise. I'm typing more chapters in advance so such a long wait won't, hopefully, happen again. That means I've got my plot pretty much planned, so just sit tight and enjoy.


	5. Closing In

AN:_ Finally_, the chapter you've all been waiting for :] And if you do get to the end, please review since I'd like to know what you think of my story thus far, and if you don't like it, well constructive criticism would be nice.

**

* * *

**

**V: Closing In**

            Damage, hurt, frustration, confusion all twisted in a blind tumultuous fury that struggled and tore, waging war within the vital insides of a shattered lonely adolescent. The calm would be all too fleeting, and the storm would always chase it away, ripping and clawing its way through deeper into the folds and crevices of an isolated mind. Glory and genius were comedic fools who smiled and danced with porcelain masks before a fallen king.

            He could feel their black eyes scrutinizing him, keenly aware of every action and movement he made. Black, cold, unfeeling eyes stared emotionless, though sometimes they seemed almost mocking in their indirect existence. He inhaled, feeling the diaphragm lower, his stomach rising to accommodate. Days had passed since his rage had calmed and withdrawn itself back into the hidden hole deep within himself. Its awakening had originally been triggered by the memories of vivid colors and wretched screams. But, try as he might, he could do nothing to ward them off. The black eyes were keeping him from doing any harm to himself.

            Then, the memories began to regress, yet they still daringly flirted the precipice of his sanity. Slowly, he regained control of himself, of his emotions, of his feelings that fired and fueled the adrenaline that would sometimes shoot up into his veins and out against the padded walls of the round chamber. At first, the isolation only made the insanity more tempting, but eventually he had adjusted and come to appreciate it, despite the fact that the very nature of the chamber was a breeding ground for insanity. It had been a while since he had had some quiet time for himself and he busied himself with plans. Plans that would be enacted after his release.

            The black eyes had spoken to him, but he did not respond. He barely noticed the faint murmur of chakra behind the walls, but his ears immediately picked up on the other presence that had suddenly entered the room. Threads of chakra felt their way through the air and explored the planes of the visitor for identification. Satisfied, he smirked at the black, unseeing eyes.

            Kakashi walked into the room with a casual, relaxed stride although he cringed unnoticeably at seeing its structure. The whole chamber was a round cylinder with a smooth, uniformly padded wall at least a foot wide. There were four black semicircles, each at a separate point of the circular ceiling so that they formed corners of a square. A flickering round fluorescent light bulged from the center of the ceiling. Under the intermittent light sat the detainee in the middle of the padded floor dressed in a loose white long-sleeved shirt and pants.

            The jounin walked to a spot diagonally left from the boy, closer to the door if the need ever arose, but near enough so that he could see his student's face and eyes that were closed. He leaned back against the cushion and crossed his arms, carefully memorizing the spot where the doors were, though they were otherwise invisible.

            'This could very well be a torture chamber,' Kakashi mused unhappily. He didn't like the idea of keeping Sasuke in such an area any longer.

            "Sasuke," Kakashi addressed his student, "long time no see."

            Happy red everywhere. Struggling, clawing hands. Twists in his victim's face. A bloody kunai in his hand buried its way into tender flesh, painting sunny skin with a splatters of crimson. The smell of blood, all over his hands, all over the dying body at his feet, invaded his nostrils and he grinned manically with both rows of perfect pearl white teeth sparkling.

            After several seconds of silence elapsed, the jounin thought, 'Stubborn as always.' "You know, Sasuke, I think you are about ready to leave this place. What do you think?"

            Dark red fading. Motionless, limp hands. Stillness in his victim's face. A bloody kunai in his hand buried its way into the moist soil, digging holes again and again. The smell of blood, all over his hands, all over the dead carcass at his feet, invaded his nostrils and he cried in grievous pain with both eyes streaming rivers.

            "No," Sasuke muttered, his eyes shutting tighter, trying to rid himself of the torturous visions.

            Kakashi waited in observation, then asked, "No?"

            "I want to leave," Sasuke opened his blood-red eyes, swirling with Sharingan.

            Scratching his chin, the jounin inwardly sighed. "Not with those intentions, you aren't."

            "What intentions," Sasuke's eyes deepened into black, "are you referring to?"

            "You are not allowed to go near Naruto, not to mention touching one hair on his body. Team Seven has been dissolved until you both can come to terms and deal with each other."

            "That's stupid. I can work perfectly fine with Sakura and," his pulse quickened, "Naruto."

            "Even if you are able to, he is not ready to work with you," Kakashi shrugged nonchalantly, noting the boy's tightened fists. "Anyways, I was mistaken. You are not ready to leave yet."

            A war cry and then fists flew at Kakashi's face while he struggled to dodge the lightning-fast movements. He dodged a kick to his left shoulder which rebounded off the foam wall and was followed up with a sidekick to his face with the intention of twisting his neck. The jounin ducked again but was thrown by inhuman strength into the wall and realized he was at the point furthest away from the door.

            'So he knows where the exit is.'

            A static sound penetrated the air and a voice asked, "Hatake-san, do you need assistance?"

            "Won't be necessary," Kakashi smiled at the black orb above him.

            "Ch'," Sasuke snickered at the false reassurance donning his teacher's face. "Don't tell me I can't leave because of that moron," Sasuke growled, stalking up to his teacher with madness spinning in his eyes.

            "I didn't. You have to learn how to control-"

            "Shut up!" Sasuke yelled, slamming his palm dangerously close to Kakashi's face. "Naruto stole everything from me, everything! He killed him...he killed _him_. I lived my whole fucking miserable life to kill _him_ and _Naruto_ ended up doing it for me! That damn bastard, he should die right now!"

            Sasuke stumbled onto the cushioned ground after Kakashi slapped him hard across the face.

            "Stop saying selfish things, Sasuke. I always knew you were arrogant, but I never thought you could be this ungrateful. Naruto was prepared to sacrifice his life to save you," Kakashi ignored the death glare heading his way from his student. "It's good that you are now forced to choose a new path in life. I advise you to forgive Naruto. He is, after all, one of your few precious companions. Sit here and think it over. I will return tomorrow to see if you have changed your mind."

            "...And if not?"

            "It will only be more difficult to obtain your release. I prefer not to go through that...and neither do you."

            Kakashi warily walked across the room, past his student, and performed the seals close to his body so that they were hidden from view by his vest. With a slight wave of his hand, he exited the chamber, leaving the boy to himself again. The figure on the edge of each of the four screens did not move, but upon further magnification, one would see that there was undoubtedly a slight trembling in the figure's arms down to the closed fists where nails dug into ruptured skin.

* * *

AN: Well, there you have it. I hope you all figured out what happened. Things are going to be real rough for Naruto and Sasuke...but yes I'm definitely going to pull off a BL fic and maybe boost the rating to R.


	6. The Hawk and the Dove

**

VI: The Hawk and the Dove

**

Iruka could remember the look on Kakashi's face when he had emerged from the steel door. Just moments ago, Iruka's heart had been overwhelmed with panic when he had seen his student lunge at his lover, but now all feelings were lost and gone forever at the sight of the look on Kakashi's face. It was one he never wanted to see again.

Fury was swirling in the jounin's gray eye and the redness glowed from under the head protector. Iruka had looked towards the Hokage to see her reaction, and it was as cold and collected as ever. Something urged him to say something, to do something, but his body would not move. It refused to respond.

The tone…of Kakashi's voice…was unforgettable. The words, hissed out with erratic breaths between rows of teeth grinding against each other, were like daggers cutting his ears to pieces. He had wanted to go to the jounin and ask about his welfare, but instead his gut told him to flee. Each step the jounin took was a hammer slamming hard against the stone floor.

Three words, a command, a threat perhaps, still rang true in his ears.

Let him go.

Tsunade had looked at Kakashi with wisdom and age in her old, paling brown eyes. She saw beyond the anger and right to the core of his pain. And so his words had stripped themselves of all danger and gone straight into her heart.

She knew.

But as Hokage, she could not simply let the boy go. It was too risky, too dangerous to the lives of other people, but the jounin insisted, offering, no demanding her to leave the boy's welfare in his hands. Finally she agreed, but on the morrow. On the morrow.

Iruka could remember the tension he felt as the three of them walked back up the stairwell, away from the darkening room. He remembered the tug on his sleeve after they had bowed with respect to the Hokage, and how Kakashi had never let go of him as they walked out of the tower. He had felt as if he was helplessly being pulled by the angered jounin, helpless to stop him from dragging him along.

"Inhuman."

"What?"

"The way Sasuke's being treated. She's inhuman. They all are."

What was he supposed to say. Should he agree? Disagree?

"I don't understand why she had to put him in there. That's no place for a kid who's lost all his family. You understand; he has no one left now, right?"

"Un," Iruka nodded, looking at his feet while allowing himself to be pulled into rhythm with Kakashi's swift steps. He knew they both understood the feeling of losing everything.

"If he's not out of there by tomorrow…" Kakashi turned to Iruka, finally looking at his face for the first time that whole day. He put both hands on the other man's shoulders. "If he's not out of there…" Fingers and thumb dug into the fabric, squeezing almost painfully. A shuddering sigh escaped from under Kakashi's mask.

"He will be. He's strong enough, Kakashi." Iruka put a reassuring hand on Kakashi's back.

"That's what we'd all like to believe," Kakashi muttered and released Iruka from his grip before sharply turning around and walking away.

* * *

"Yahhh!" Naruto yelped and jumped off the bed with a colorful string of curses following.

Jiraiya laughed while poking Naruto's soaked and not-so-happy-looking-anymore nightcap.

"I knew that'd get you up, you lazy brat," Jiraiya smirked triumphantly.

Naruto eyed him miserably while sulking from his wet pajamas. He trudged to the foot of his bed and collapsed onto the floor, holding his bent legs with the crooks of his arms as he laid his head upon his knees in what seemed to be another attempt to sleep. Jiraiya's smirk quickly disappeared at the sight.

"Oh, no you don't kiddo," he growled angrily and lifted Naruto up under his shoulders. "You're going to go into your bathroom, take a bath, and get out of those stinky clothes. Then, you're going to pack your stuff before hitting the ramen shop because I'm going to take you on a trip."

"No," Naruto looked down angrily, his face scrunched into a grimace. "I'm not going."

"Yes, you are. I'm going to train you personally. Now what can be better than that?"

"Staying home."

The sennin's eyes were about to pop out of his head from frustration.

"Naruto! You need some fresh air. This rotten hole smells like a pig sty, and if you don't get your smelly ass into that shower right now, I'm going to kick it in there myself."

Naruto glared at Jiraiya from hooded eyes. He snickered and wiped his face with his sleeve before stumbling towards the bathroom. The door slammed shut behind him, leaving a lone senin in utter disbelief.

'He didn't even jump when I mentioned ramen or training.'

* * *

Moments later, a tingling of chakra made the old sensei's ears perk. Footsteps, barely felt, were sending nearly imperceptible vibrations from the walkway outside of Naruto's door. Jiraiya cautiously moved towards the front door when he felt something familiar and grinned before opening the door.

"Why if it isn't Copy Ninja Kakashi, the chosen heir to my genius and good looks."

Kakashi nodded, giving a faint smile before asking, "How's Naruto?"

"He's a pain in the ass, like always. Shouldn't've expected any better."

"Seriously-"

"I am being serious!" Jiraiya retorted and crossed his arms. "He's the same old brat, maybe a bit more sluggish and down, perhaps even older and marginally more mature if not less, but still the same. He'll be back to his old self soon under my care."

"I see," Kakashi nodded absently. "You'll have to watch out for Uchiha. He's going to be released today, and even though I'm looking after him, he might escape and try to kill Naruto."

"Bah, another immature, stupid brat to deal with," Jiraiya mocked dismay before putting on a serious face. "No worries. Uchiha won't get past me."

"With your constant peeping and tendency to get easily distracted? I'm not too sure about this."

Jiraiya sneered, "Have _some_ faith and respect! I'm a senin y'know."

Kakashi laughed whole-heartedly. "Sorry, I believe that one only works on the little kids nowadays, Jiraiya."

Jiraiya peered at Kakashi with an odd look on his face. "Youth these days…no respect. Besides, I believe we had this conversation years ago, my friend," He waved the matter off. "How long is this excursion for? Itachi's people are still after Naruto, are they not?"

Kakashi immediately sobered at Jiraiya's serious tone of voice. "The Hokage said maximum a month. Konohagakure can't afford to pass up any mission; we need Naruto to work. We also can't have him wandering too far from the village since your speculation is true. If the members of Akatsuki traumatize Naruto or try and manipulate the Kyuubi's powers again…"

"I understand. I'll try my best to return within a month." Jiraiya once again pouted with the pretense of reluctancy upon hearing the water from the shower stop. "Geez, you people really know how to make me do all the hard work."

The bathroom door began to open when Jiraiya grinned broadly, "And, the next time we meet, I'll have a new novel out! I think this is my best one so far."

"Bah, you pervert-senin," Naruto frowned at Jiraiya while donned in his usual orange outfit. He fidgeted uncomfortably in his usual garb. "I need new clothes."

"Finally, you've realized your fashion faux pas. I was beginning to think you were going to turn more and more into Gai-sensei."

Kakashi smiled at the senin's remark. "Jiraiya, I must be on my way." The jounin turned to Naruto, "May your training go well, Naruto. I will you see you soon." He casually waved and strolled away.

"Alright, brat, after we eat ramen and go shopping, there's no way in hell you're going to try and bring as much stuff as you did the first time we went on a trip," Jiraiya warned. He tossed a canvas sack towards the boy. "That's how much you're allowed to bring," Jiraiya then added, "for a month."

"WHAT!?"

Naruto's yell of disbelief was heard throughout the village, waking all his angry neighbors up with it.

* * *

AN: Thought I'd end this chapter on a lighter note. I'll leave the next short segment for the next chapter. Also testing out this new formatting thing fanfiction.net has. Hm, hope it's working.


	7. This Sadness

AN: Reader discretion advised. This one's a bit racier than the previous.

* * *

**VII: This Sadness**

The excitement was nearly overwhelming.

And then it hit. The twisting, yearning anger had slept enough, and now awoke with an explosion of madness. Spreading like wildfire to every nerve end, ecstatic anticipation seized his whole body with uncontrollable shivers as he went through the usual routine for the last time.

The padded door opened automatically and as calmly and collectedly as ever, Sasuke walked into the bathroom to shower. The growing young man quickly stripped off all his clothing and stepped under the already running water that was spraying from the showerhead. Unfazed, he let the ice cold water hit his skin and run down his dark hair, moistening it till all the black strands were wet and dripping along his face like a curtain. Opening his eyes, he stared blankly at his body, then at the palms of his hands. He twitched his fingers slightly while watching frantic drops of water race down and hit the tiled floor, contemplating the life he would end with those very hands, those very fingers now itching to kill.

* * *

"My Kakashi doll can't even fit in this damn thing! I can't pack enough things to last me a day in this stupid mini potato sack!" Naruto cried out in exasperation. His head was already beginning to feel like it was being pounded in with sledge hammers due to all the sleep he had gotten over the past week.

"What? You… have a Kakashi doll?" A funny, yet slightly disturbed, look graced Jiraiya's face. "Nevermind, I don't want to know."

"Bah! You've got it wrong," the younger ninja grimaced at the implications of the sennin's words and at his growing migraine. "It's from before I even became a genin. I used it for training practice 'cause I wanted to kick Kakashi-sensei's ass and get those damn bells." Naruto scowled again at the thought of who had almost succeeded at taking those bells.

"Mmhm. Whatever you say, kid."

"You don't believe me?" Naruto was about to storm across the room to get the questionable object when Jiraiya started laughing.

"Hahaha, I was just kidding Naruto," Jiraiya laughed at Naruto's woozy expression. "Here," the sennin tossed the backpack that was conveniently placed on top the breakfast table, "this is what you're going to put your stuff in. Don't pack anything unnecessary."

"I don't want to pack any of my clothes," Naruto mumbled.

"Eh? So you intend on going out naked?" Jiraiya's expression turned perverted in an instant. "I guess it would be okay if-"

"No!" Naruto smacked his teacher with his newly acquired backpack. "Get a woman, will you?"

Jiraiya snorted. "There's no woman alive who could ever appreciate my fine writing skills." He continued with a tone of pure pride and confidence, "Besides, my novels come first!"

Naruto snickered, "Maybe that's why you don't get laid."

"What? You little…" Jiraiya glared angrily at the little squirt who, in actuality, was no longer a little squirt. To his dismay, Naruto was almost as tall as he, now that his growth spurt had actually kicked in.

Naruto apparently noticed the sennin's frustration at not being able to look down at him anymore and laughed. "Haha, see? I'm not little anymore!" His face scrunched up into a wince as the pain seared his mind again.

A fist came crashing, untimely, onto his head, followed by an angry wail. "Yeah, yeah, but you're still a brat. So-Hey, Naruto, are you ok?"

The other ninja was unresponsive as he held his head between his hands. He felt like his world was going to explode with the throbbing pain he was feeling. He couldn't help but let a groan escape his lips as he staggered towards the bathroom and opened up his medicine cabinet. Fumbling to find the right bottle of pills, and knocking a few into the sink in the process, the young man finally popped open the correct one and as if right on cue, a cup of water was placed into his other hand.

"Thanks," Naruto mumbled before taking tossing a few pills into his mouth and downing them with water.

"Naruto…"

"Ugh, what?"

"What's with all these pill bottles." It was more of a statement made in awe than a question.

"What about them?" Naruto lazily avoided the question while staring at the medicine cabinet lined with various colored bottles of pills, some displaying dates that had expired long ago. "I always forget to throw away the old ones, so it just looks like a lot of stuff," he said while quickly closing the mirror away, his reflection being thrown unannounced at him. He stared for a while, into the cold, sickening mirror of his blue eyes and pale face, and then concluded that he looked like he had just died and come back to life. "Wow, I look like shit."

"Yes, you do, which is why we're going to go for ramen now."

The blond boy laughed half-heartedly. "Hells yeah. I can't wait to eat real food."

"If you call that real food. Now stop admiring yourself and let's go." Naruto nodded in affirmation and began walking towards the front door when Jiraiya stopped him. "But, I think you need to put on some real clothes."

Blushing, Naruto had only realized that very second that he was only wearing his boxers and a pair of fuzzy bunny slippers that matched his nightcap which was lying unhappily on his misshapen bed. The young man hurriedly dropped the backpack from his shoulder and went to his closet to battle the sea of orange in search of something that wasn't the usual obnoxiously bright color. With a sigh of relief, he finally found an old black t-shirt and pair of shorts. However, after putting them on, he realized he wasn't so lucky. The shirt was too tight on him, especially under his arms, now that he had grown and built up muscle. His shorts were also too short in that they only reached about mid-thigh.

"Damn, I wish I was short again," Naruto grumbled while tugging at his sleeves so that the fabric ripped a little. Then, he pulled his shorts down nearly to his knees so that the top of his white shuriken-patterned boxers were showing. "Actually, no I don't," he concluded and grinned mischievously before tying his Konoha headband proudly around his golden hair. He picked up a few spare boxers, grabbed some cup ramen, and shoved a few scrolls as well as weapons into his backpack before heading for the door again.

"You're going out looking like that?" Jiraiya sensed trouble.

"Of course I am!" Naruto flashed a smile so bright that it nearly rivaled Lee's. "It'll give the villagers, and the ladies, something_ else_ to talk about."

The sennin sighed with defeat, although he was secretly very happy about seeing Naruto back to his old, adolescent self. "Teenagers and their hormones."

"Hey!" Naruto, who was already out the door, yelled over his shoulder, "I wouldn't be talking, Pervert-Sennin!"

A low grumble ensued before the two greeted the open sky with mischievous smirks, and perhaps, even traces of hope.

* * *

Eyes shut tight with his hand on the gun, he stood shaking while water pounded onto the back of his scalp. His mouth was slightly agape as the steaming clear liquid ran down his face and hair like many small waterfalls. Never before had he felt so tense yet enthralled with the fire that was feeding his need, feeding his hunger like that of a victim of famine.

Of course he had felt the first sparks when he had had his first battle against Zabuza and Haku. The speed they were fighting at and the competition for dominance had his heart racing and body trembling with excitement. It was only then, and when he activated his Sharingan, that he began to feel truly alive and breathing, living on the blood he shed and the urge to bury his kunai and shuriken into warm, unadulterated flesh.

His hand tightened and gave more attention to where it was needed most.

"Naruto…" Sasuke hissed out between clenched teeth, "You bastard." He yearned for more of that feeling, that bloodlust, and almost giddily he anticipated the buildup of the fire while imagining himself executing his final self-assigned task in the most gruesome and torturous of fashions. "I'm going to fuckin' kill you," he growled under his breath with determination and let slip a moan he had been suppressing for the longest time the moment all his anger was released.

With his head resting against the wet tiles, and the water now tapping his back in an almost rhythmic pattern, Sasuke quickly calmed his ragged breath. Ever since he had hit puberty, he had found his body harder and harder to control, so he compensated and did what was necessary to relieve himself of the tension. However, slowly, he was getting better at controlling and hiding his emotions, his feelings, and subduing any type of urge that would otherwise interfere with his current mindset. However, he never realized how out of control and excited he got when he thought about his future plans. All the blood that he would revel in, dripping down his fingers and splashing everywhere in resemblance to a splatter painting, seemed marvelous to think about. The victorious satisfaction that would engulf him was so tempting he couldn't help but stop listening to his strict rational mind and take care of business. And if such thoughts or triggers ever disturbed him, he never thought about it because it didn't matter. Things were what they were, he usually repeated to himself, in order to explain everything that had gone horribly wrong in his life up to the not so horribly wrong deed he would commit not soon enough.

'As long as there's anger,' Sasuke rationalized, 'I can go through with this.' He opened his swirling red eyes. 'No…why bother. I'll always hate him as long as he lives.'

Strong fingers twisted the knob counterclockwise, and continued even after the water stopped flowing. The clanging of the ricocheting metal piece echoed throughout the small room as the still dripping wet boy stepped out into the steaming room and dried himself off. Almost mechanically, he began to dress himself with swift, small movements, careful to never waste time or energy with any excess motion.

The nervousness was so thick in the dark vault-like room that it was nearly tangible. All the Anbu guards were tense, in remembering the first time they had gotten the troubled boy into the padded room. He had taken down two of the guards mercilessly. Now, he was going to be released; they couldn't help but feel the chakra tingling at their fingers, just in case. Just in case something were to happen again, anything at all. At least, this time, they would be prepared.

The lone jounin lazily waited for the boy to exit the bathroom. He had certainly taken his time and was undoubtedly making the Anbu restless. Hence, the man could do nothing more but remain calm and appear worry-free although thoughts were also rampaging in his mind on how to possibly keep everyone safe from Sasuke until he could convince the boy of better things to do than turn into his brother.

Once the Anbu guards had escorted Sasuke out of the chamber, he greeted his student nonchalantly. "I see you've changed your mind."

"Believe what you want."

"Then that's what I'll believe," Kakashi watched the boy carefully with his eye. "Nice new outfit, by the way."

Sasuke didn't respond and walked towards the stairs, leaving Kakashi with back view of his long, sleeveless black jacket with a red and white of the Uchiha fan sharply contrasting in the darkness. The red trimming that ran sharply along an even higher collar than that of the old dark blue shirt caught the jounin's attention. The rest of Sasuke's retreating figure was black, except for the barely noticeable hints of the boy's neck. Frowning, the jounin thought to himself, 'He looks more like Itachi in that outfit.' He sighed before teleporting himself to the top of the stairwell. Leaning against a wall, he waited for the shining moment his vengeful student would arrive. 'I doubt things will ever be the way they used to be.'

* * *

"Mm, that was the best meal I've ever had!" Naruto exclaimed with glee, patting his full stomach. He stretched out his arms above his head, which resulted in his shirt hitching up to expose his toned abs. A couple of girls sitting nearby giggled and stared.

Jiraiya snorted. "Hate to say this, but it looks like your little strategy worked."

"Hm?" Naruto looked at him blankly. Jiraiya gestured with a slight nod of his head, and Naruto turned around to see the bunch of girls eying him. He grinned at them and didn't bother to tug his shirt back down.

He soon found his face nearly inside his empty ramen bowl after getting smacked on the back of his head.

Jiraiya smiled at him triumphantly. "Stop flirting, brat. We have to finish buying your stuff."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto glared at his teacher and gestured at the now giggling girls to call him.

"Pfft, like they know your number," Jiraiya mumbled under his breath before dragging Naruto out of Ichiraku.

"Who doesn't?" Naruto grinned.

The older man muttered something under his breath and said almost excitedly, "Let's go to the lady who did my outfit."

Naruto smirked and said in a barely audible voice, "I'm sure that's not all she did."

"What was that brat?" Jiraiya could have sworn he heard Naruto say something.

"Nothing, nothing," Naruto grinned easily.

Glaring, Jiraiya continued to lead Naruto to the tailor. The afternoon sun was high up in the sky, burning down so brightly that shadows clung to people's feet as they walked. Little kids were shouting and laughing as they herded down the streets, racing each other to the nearest ice cream shop. Ladies were fanning themselves as they walked by; they did not even notice Naruto since they were so used to seeing the bright orange garb he usually wore. Still, when he looked at a bakery in longing for some sweets, a young woman leaving the shop looked at him in the eye and quickly led her small child away from him after giving him a dirty look. Frowning, Naruto walked on and noticed that only a few people recognized who he was since they seemed to be busier looking at Jiraiya.

Suddenly, a high-pitched voice called out his name. Turning around, he suddenly paled, but immediately put on a smile to cover up. Jiraiya, who had also turned around, noticed his student's change and decided to follow suit.

"Good afternoon, Jiraiya-sama," A certain pink-haired ninja called out breathlessly while running up to the duo. She briefly wondered what happened to her usual loud greeting from her teammate but didn't hesitate to smack Naruto on the side of his head.

"Ahh," Naruto winced, "Why is everyone hitting me today?"

"That's because you never told me you got back!" Sakura frowned. "Why are you dressed like that? And where's Sasuke? I checked his house just now and he wasn't there."

Naruto swallowed and smiled uneasily.

"Sakura, always full of questions," Jiraiya immediately drew her attention to him as he stepped in front of Naruto. "Well, let me explain. This idiot here finally got tired of his orange jumpsuit, so I decided to take him shopping and bestow upon him my excellent fashion sense."

Sakura peered up at Jiraiya peculiarly. She wasn't so sure she could agree with the sennin on that one, but she stayed silent anyways.

"Hey, don't think I advised him to wear those rags. That was all his doing," Jiraiya gestured to the frowning Naruto. "Now to answer your second question, the other idiot is currently training with my brilliant heir. They should be back in an hour, so you should go check at Kakashi's house then."

"But I don't know where Kakashi lives," the girl pouted in frustration.

"Well, you have an hour to find out!" Jiraiya grinned, then upon seeing the evil look on her face, shrugged helplessly. "By the way, don't expect to see Naruto for a while. He's got some things to take care of."

"Things?" Sakura inquired. The sennin nodded his head with a 'Yep' kind of expression. "Alright, well Naruto," she turned to her teammate, "good luck with whatever you have to do, and tell me when you get back, okay?"

Naruto, who had already recomposed himself, smiled. "Of course, Sakura-chan."

The pink-haired ninja parted with the two after waving goodbye. Naruto sweated with relief, and mopped at his face with Jiraiya's sleeve. The sennin protested but gave up after seeing the boy's expression.

They soon arrived at the tailor's shop, and Naruto was pleasantly looking on as his teacher casually flirted with the pretty, young proprietor. The woman, after disappearing into the back of the shop, came back with arms full of outfits.

"These are some of the outfits I have already made. They should fit him," the woman said genially while laying out the clothes on a table.

Naruto carefully looked at the first outfit. Deciding he didn't like it, he stuck out his tongue out of habit, which got him a jab in the ribs by Jiraiya. Rubbing the injured spot, he grumbled and put the first set of clothes down and quickly grabbed another.

"This is one badass jacket!" Naruto said joyfully. It was a long, royal blue, short-sleeved jacket with orange flames outlined by red at the bottom. The excited boy quickly put it on and reveled in its cape-like qualities and high collar. "Ah, this is so cool. I want this one."

"What about the rest of the outfit?" Jiraiya asked, smirking.

Naruto pondered thoughtfully and decided on a red shirt and pants. The lady smiled at him in admiration and let him change into his new clothes in the back. She quietly talked to Jiraiya who had a lopsided grin on his face.

"Ah, that boy looks so much like the Yondaime. He even chose the jacket I had modeled after the Fourth's."

"Yeah, his resemblance is uncanny. At least that's one good thing about that troublesome kid."

The woman laughed good-naturedly. "So are you going to pay, Jiraiya-sama?"

From the back, a muffled, "Pervert-Sennin better pay for this!" then a more clear, "You owe me one big time!" Naruto emerged moments later with his new outfit on and his eyes shining brightly. "Perv-Sennin, after you spent all my money that one time we looked for Tsunade-baba, I think you should definitely pay!" He looked at his teacher triumphantly while the woman laughed.

"Alright, alright," the sennin conceded. "And throw in some extra shirts and pants while you're at it, please. This guy is a mess."

The sound of a loud, teenage boy's angry voice overpowered the noise on the streets, causing a few people to stop and wonder where the commotion was. Suddenly, two angry pair of ninja plowed onto the streets, glaring at each other as if they could kill one another by looking at each other. People were sure to get out of their way, and they vaguely wondered what could have happened.

* * *

He was surprised. Only slightly, and not enough to show it, but the surprise was there. Kakashi had left him to himself after showing him the apartment and his new room. Sasuke was disappointed to find how far across town his teacher's house was, but decided distance would never stop him from hunting down his target.

Walking out from his bedroom, he immediately turned on his Sharingan and surveyed his surroundings, checking for any presence of chakra. Upon satisfaction, he quickly checked his holsters for kunai and shuriken. Once clear with that, he leaped down the flight of stairs, checked the lower floor for any sign of his teacher, then dashed out the backdoor and out onto the escape route he had planned while touring Kakashi's house. Constantly checking his surroundings, he was sure he wasn't being followed. Smirking, he quickly merged with the shadows in the forest and ran towards the setting sun.

* * *

"Yahh," Naruto yawned.

It had taken them the rest of the day to reach their first destination outside of Konohagakure. The small town which they were resting at was hidden by the forest and located on a small indent on the side of a mountain. Jiraiya had booked a few days at the local inn, and now was currently enjoying an indoor bath at the far side of the inn.

"Pervert-sennin is late," he glared at his watch. His stomach growled on cue. "Well, 'm not waiting for him," he decided and locked the door behind him.

The cool, night air was relief upon his burning skin. During the day, the sun had nearly burned Naruto dry of any water and left him with a proud sunburn on the bridge of his nose. Tugging on his new jacket, Naruto put on his trademark grin and silently admired the female population of the townsfolk.

People barely noticed as the blond boy passed them by with flames engulfing his now night blue garb. Couples were enjoying their dinners at sushi bars while families were lining up outside a newly opened buffet. A group of happy schoolgirls were walking hand in hand and noticing the tall, blond boy, giggled as he passed by.

Satisfied and comfortable with the environment, Naruto settled himself down at the local ramen shop and ordered ramen of the day. While he waited for his bowl, he vaguely wondered if he should have left a note for Jiraiya, but dismissed the thought once his steaming dinner was placed in front of him. He at once began to wolf it down, but realized he didn't really have much to do afterwards, so he set himself to a leisurely pace in order to fully enjoy his meal. Chuckling between bites, he remembered the one ridiculous time he, Sakura, and Sasuke treated Kakashi for ramen and were unable to see his real face after all due to Ino's untimely presence.

"Haha, Ino," Naruto reminisced fondly, then bitterly, "Sasuke."

He paid the chef and hopped off his stool, hands in pocket, to enjoy the night. Springtime was always Naruto's favorite season, because it always marked beginning of life again. He walked with his arms folded behind his head, enjoying the clear night sky and the multitude of stars that were visible now that he was in the mountains.

Sighing, he wandered onto a trail leading upwards into the woods. Finding a small clearing, he nestled onto the moss by the base of a grand old tree and enjoyed the comfort of being away from everyone and all the troubles he had left behind at home. Sleep was beckoning him, and he found himself succumbing, peacefully closing his eyes.

Suddenly, a slight rustling of leaves caught his attention, and his ears quickly perked up. Sensing another's presence, he quietly cloned himself and popped up silently onto a nearby tree branch while looking at his clone that was still 'sleeping' along the roots of the tree.

"That won't work on me," a sinister voice muttered right behind him. Spinning around, he was pushed off the branch and felt a rush of air before regaining his balance and landing on his feet.

Dodging three kunai, Naruto growled and ran up a tree while forming two other clones that separated from him. In a desperate attempt to find his enemy, he sent out tendrils of chakra but could not identify where his attacker was. With one eye on both his clones, he silently jumped onto another tree before pulling out kunai with one hand and shuriken with the other.

Without warning, he was thrown back against the trunk of the tree while chakra painfully wound tightly against both his wrists, now pinned against the bark. He cried out and tried to hold onto his weapons before his skin began to burn and was forced to drop them. His frantic eyes searched for a face, but they were greeted with only darkness and the silence of the forest. In an attempt to escape, he tried summoning his other clones, but their presence was nowhere to be found.

Immediately, to his horror, a dark figure leaped in front of him from above. Angry, bloodthirsty eyes full of hatred pinned him into time-stopping nightmares. His voice yelled out in agony and pain as the chakra holds made their way to his neck. He cried out one name in vain.

"Sasuke."

* * *

AN: That was one long chapter! I had originally wanted to make it two, but I figured why not make it one and make up for the waiting time. I hoped you like it, despite the cliffhanger ending. Tried to make the Naruto and Jiraiya moments comedic while Sasuke's...just plain morbid. Yay for writer's license when it came to my favorite dark-haired ninja...just trying to show how screwed up he is now. Also yay for Sakura's first appearance: Sasuke-centric as usual. As a side note, I have a feeling the rating's going to go up. This in no way shape or form is a KakaSasu fic. It is going to be SasuNaru/NaruSasu and I know exactly when; therefore, there's no use begging. Much more to tell - till the next chapter.


	8. Stepping up to the Test

AN: First, if you read this story, please review. Thanks. Second, any lemon is going to come much, much later in the story. In my opinion, having Sasuke jump on Naruto after all this buildup of him wanting to _kill_ the boy in the worst way possible just doesn't make sense! Vice-versa makes no sense either. Also, I don't write non-con. Please be patient and keep reading. Everything will be explained eventually.

* * *

**VIII: Stepping up to the Test**

His rival, his teammate, and his once best friend stared, expressionless, at him in silence. Sasuke, with the crimson red of blood running around his collar and down the middle of his jacket, refused to acknowledge Naruto, whose eyes were as dark as thunderstorm-filled skies, except with the painfully angry spinning of his Sharingan eyes. He approached his trapped prey, his fingers itching, once again, to kill.

Naruto's mind was tumbling down, down a tunnel of complete darkness. His whole body, bleeding on the surface, felt like it was falling into an endless abyss, and no matter how desperately a voice in the back of his mind yelled out for him to move, his body refused to follow orders and remained frozen in the midst of absolute fear. A frantic heart began pounding in his ears, but he kept on falling…falling…

Tears flowed and gathered in bright eyes. The hunter remained unfazed, if not only more eager to end the life in front of him. Lips parted, not to speak, but only to add onto the helpless if not blank expression on the trapped's visage. Not even the signature smirk of victory graced the features of the avenger.

Suddenly, without warning, the binds of chakra ceased to burn into Naruto's flesh. His arms fell to his side, his wrists burnt and bleeding with almost smoked flesh. Glancing forlornly towards death, his mind took flight and let his body fall, this time physically, towards the distant ground.

* * *

Out of the blue, thin lines appeared before his face and his feet reacted in an instant as he jumped over the trap. He had been caught once by the same method, but never would it happen again. Smirking, he landed onto safe ground until something erupted from the earth and clamped down onto his ankle.

"Aargh!" Sasuke immediately felt gravity do its job as he fell backwards onto the hard, dirt ground. Nin-dogs were biting down on all four of his appendages, and he tried to shake them off till a large bulldog rested its big head on his torso. "Dammit, dog!"

"Sasuke, Sasuke, trying to escape already?" Kakashi loomed over him casually, as if it were a daily routine. "I wonder where you were so eagerly running off to. Certainly not after Naruto, right? Because you promised that you would forgive him, and that includes not trying to kill him," the jounin peered into his angry student's face, "right?"

"Pfft," Sasuke felt like spitting at the annoying man. Just where had he come from? He should have known it was all a trap to see what he would do. "I'll achieve my goal," he said with smug determination.

"I'm sure you will," Kakashi smiled, "once you've changed it." He then gestured for his dogs to get off Sasuke and didn't bother to offer the fallen ninja a hand. With his back to Sasuke, he stated calmly, "Even if you do not like it, you _will_ change your goal in life, Sasuke. Killing Naruto won't change anything if not make you mad." He sighed, as if he had repeated the same sentence hundreds of times before. "Forgive him, Sasuke, and become the good friends you two used to be. I am sure you will be much better off and happier that way."

"You know nothing about me."

"I know enough to be able to tell you this much. You'll be happier if you are friends with Naruto rather than his enemy. Don't try and forget all that you two have been through before that incident."

"I'm not."

Kakashi smiled to himself. He wondered vaguely if this was what it was like to have a teenage son. It was certainly a hassle then.

"Do what you want, Sasuke, for I am only asking you to do one thing which is ultimately what you will want, too. Forget about getting revenge on Naruto. You did not listen to me before, years ago, but listen to me now. Forget about it."

After a long stretch of silence, the jounin was about to walk away when he heard slight sniffling. Glancing over his shoulder, he raised an eyebrow at his student whose face was hidden by his long bangs. Sasuke was staring at the ground, his fists clenched so tight at his side that his arms were shaking and the veins running down the back of his hands were standing out as clearly as his white knuckles. His breath was erratic, a clear sign of his desperate struggle to control his emotions. He finally looked up to stare at the night sky and took in a shuddering breath to choke back the tears.

"W-what do you know about revenge. About losing everyone you've ever loved." Sasuke fiercely wiped at his eyes and looked away in shame. "_Tell_ me what you know."

Kakashi shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed once again. 'The troubles of youth.' He gestured for his student to sit down on a fallen log, but Sasuke remained standing, still fighting his emotions that threatened to spill out.

The jounin carefully sat down on the log and regarded Sasuke. "What I know about revenge…and about losing those precious to me…" 'No use in hiding anything now.' "I can tell you right now, without bullshitting, that I know how you feel and I know the kind of loss you're experiencing. I lost my best friend during an Anbu mission…his name was Uchiha Obito."

Sasuke gasped. Although he had never known Obito-san very well, he had always heard his father talking about what a skilled ninja he was and how Itachi should aspire to be as good as him, if not better. Obito had been one of the clan's brightest hopes for the continuation of the Uchiha blood and skill. Sasuke quickly started paying more attention to his teacher's words, and leaned against a tree while facing the profile of the jounin.

'Still doesn't trust me,' Kakashi observed. "Obito never liked being an Anbu, but he tried his best to carry out the missions successfully while working with everyone in my team. He rarely killed anyone, and preferred learning from our medic-nin." Kakashi smiled bitterly, "I remember, one morning, he told me that he was planning on resigning because he could no longer live with his conscience. He advised me to quit, too, but I was too proud to even think about doing it.

"I was out for revenge, and never admitted it to anyone, not even to myself. It was because my family was killed while on a vacation in another country. Foreign nin thought that they were spies, so they murdered them, and since then, I vowed to become an Anbu and get vengeance. So, whenever I had a mission in that country, I eagerly accepted it."

Kakashi shifted on the log in remembering his past. Memories were still vivid in his mind, and the dull ache of loss tugged at him inside his chest. He sat in silence for a moment before steeling his will in order to continue his story.

"I scoffed at Obito and told him he was crazy to think of resigning. What about the Uchiha pride, right?" Sasuke fidgeted at his words. "He told me that he was going to speak with his father afterwards. Later in the day, he came back to me, and told me I was right. His father refused to listen to him after he mentioned leaving the Anbu. I couldn't have felt more ashamed of myself then.

"The next day, my squad and another one were assigned a mission. It was to assassinate a corrupted official. I won't get into the details, but all I can say is that we failed. The medic-nins were the first to go, so Obito was left scrambling around, trying to help any fallen soldier," Kakashi laughed bitterly. "He was in so much pain, disposing of our friends' bodies while, at the same time, trying to kill enemy soldiers. I commanded for us to retreat, and just when we were disposing the last body, Obito was cut with a poisoned katana while defending. I killed the guy and fled with Obito, but it was too late. The poison was already working its way into his bloodstream, and I couldn't do anything but watch him die.

Kakashi leaned his head against his palm, his back hunched over his knees. The scenes of his friend dying were passing one by one like a filmstrip in his mind. It was too much for him to handle.

* * *

"Obito, stay with me here."

The injured soldier was bleeding profusely over his frantic hands. Kakashi had ripped part of his shirt to wrap around his friend's torso, but it was not enough to stop the poison from working its way into the bloodstream. Obito's hand on his arm felt cold and clammy at the same time while he worked quickly to try and cease the bleeding.

"Kakashi-"

"Shh, don't talk. You can fight this. I'll get you to a medic real quick; just stay with me, ok?"

Kakashi had carried his friend for miles till he was sure he far enough to treat him. They had escaped in the dead of night and were still miles away from any safe territory. Obito had tried to stop Kakashi from bandaging him, but the Anbu captain refused to listen. He had taken off the soldier's mask, vest, and shirt to properly treat the wound.

Once he finished tying the fabric together, Kakashi carefully lifted, with one arm around his back, Obito to a sitting position and said, "Alright, I'm going to carry you to the closest town for some help."

"N-no," the other Anbu shook his head and held onto Kakashi's free arm. "Don't, it's no use," his once clear, deep voice strained against the pain.

"Stop saying that. You're going to live through this."

Obito's face agonized into a painful grimace. He opened his eyes with the still activated Sharingan. Slowly, one trembling hand lifted towards Kakashi's face, and his fingers feebly pushed up the mask. Kakashi immediately took off his mask, and with one questioning eye, regarded his friend. Shaking fingers ghosted down from his cheekbone to his jawline, then up to the scar adorning the closed lids of his left eye.

"Take my eye."

"What? What are you saying?"

"Take it. To remember me by."

"No. I won't need to, because you're going to live so _stop_ talking like that."

"Stop arguing," Obito breathed in painfully. His voice came out in a harsh, but commanding, whisper, "Take my eye. And s-stop being an Anbu…for your o-own sake."

"Obito…I'm not going to lose you. I can't let you go."

"Kakashi…"

"You're the only one left. You're my only family left. Please, fight a little longer, and I promise you I'll get you help."

"N-no," Obito smiled, though he was still in excruciating pain. He winced, and Kakashi held onto him tighter upon feeling his body grow cold. "It's okay. If I die. It's okay."

"It's not okay!" Kakashi said anxiously. "I need you to live, Obito. Stop talking. We're leaving now."

Obito winced again as Kakashi picked him up in his arms. He whispered, his voice cracking, "P-please! Kakashi."

After taking one look at his friend's pale face, Kakashi caved in and laid his friend carefully against the trunk of a tree. He kneeled beside him, taking one hand in between both of his, anxiously watching his friend's face. Obito's hand was even colder than before, too cold against his warm palms.

"Obito," Kakashi began to feel a lump in his throat as he watched the other man. Suddenly, trying to say the right words was getting harder and harder for him to do. He took in one deep breath and squeezed his friend's hand tighter. "I love you, y'know that?" Unable to hold his emotions in, Kakashi leaned forward to gently pull his friend into an embrace, pulling him close as if he could transfer enough heat to warm his cold body. He felt a faint, reassuring touch on his back. "You're my brother, Obito. My most precious person." The stronger shinobi continued to hold the other to him while still trying to avoid disturbing his wound too much.

"Ah," Kakashi could have sworn he felt Obito chuckling. "You…are my most precious…too. Now…l-let me s-see your face." He obliged and pulled back to stare into red and black orbs. His hands immediately grasped Obito's. "Pr-promise you'll do wh-what I asked f-for."

Kakashi then lightly touched his pale face, "I promise."

"Good," Obito smiled weakly and continued to look into his best friend's shining eyes. His smile soon faded into a regretful frown. "I-"

"Shh," Kakashi smiled fainty back, no longer restraining the tears that ran down his face. "It's okay. You can let go now."

Obito smiled again and tenderly regarded his friend as if he were trying to thank him. Then, the light faded from his eyes and the Sharingan stopped spinning. Kakashi still held onto the limp hands nestled between his palms and wept bitterly with his head down. Moments later, he recomposed himself and let his chakra engulf the still body at his feet. Using a strand of chakra, he captured Obito's left eyeball and put it into a pouch before the rest of his friend's body was completely obliterated.

Gazing hopelessly at the empty spot of crushed grass, he murmured, "Rest in peace, Obito," before disappearing into the dense forest.

* * *

"I proceeded to fulfill his last wishes, but not before I got my vengeance on that official and all his guards, guaranteeing my leave of the Anbu." Sasuke nodded, thinking that he would have done the same. "But, Sasuke, I honestly did not feel satisfied afterwards. Killing those people was something Obito would not have wanted me to do. I only felt more empty during the days that followed, with no direction in life. Yet, I heeded his words and after years of thinking, I became an instructor. Now, did I answer your questions?"

"Ah," Sasuke responded, still leaning against the tree. His look was pensive, and his eyebrows were knitted in deep thought. "As much as I appreciate you telling me this, your story is not going to convince me otherwise. I will achieve my goal."

Kakashi nodded. He had expected this much. "I advise you think it over for at least a few more days-"

"No!" Sasuke shouted, then quickly humbled himself. He was surprised at his outcry, but quickly calmed down. "If I think it over anymore, I won't do it. I have to do it now and get it over with."

"Don't be foolish. Think about the consequences before you act rashly."

Sasuke looked away to a distant spot.

"Why don't you give some thought to killing your own best friend. I'm sure you don't have another best friend, so think before you blow everything you have."

"He's…he's not my best friend," Sasuke said bitterly. "Not anymore."

"He would be if you gave him a chance. You think he's not regretting his actions? If you had seen him this past week, you wouldn't have been able to recognize the kid; his face was so red and swollen. He was regretting his action, every second of every day. He's regretting it now, I bet. Don't forget that. And don't do something you'll regret.

Kakashi got up from his seat of bark. "Well, I'm just about done lecturing and preaching at you for tonight. I think you're old enough to make your own decisions, so don't disappointment me by betraying my trust. I expect you to be in your room in an hour." He turned around and began walking towards a dirt trail. "Oh, and one more thing…"

Sasuke looked up at his teacher's back.

"…Don't try and run away again, otherwise I might have to send you back." And with those words, Kakashi left the boy alone to his thoughts.

* * *

He was no longer falling, but somehow floating. He couldn't tell where he was going or distinguish the dark surroundings, but oddly enough, he felt secure and safe in his journey to the unknown. All the nervousness and panic that had gripped him earlier were long gone, and he felt as if he were dreaming vaguely, into a deep sleep. All of a sudden, his body was tugged up, and the air began rushing past him, and he kicked and screamed. Flailing his limbs, he tried to grasp onto a handhold, but there was nothing for him to grab onto as he was helplessly thrown up into consciousness.

_"Naruto…"_ came a distant voice.

His eyes flew open, and then closed shut just as quickly. The light pierced his eyes, and he squinted until his dilated pupils adjusted. He could tell Jiraiya was hovering over him by the huge white mane surrounding his face.

"Perv-sennin," Naruto croaked, his nose stinging and feeling oddly cleared up.

"Sorry, I had to use some salts to get you to wake up. You were in a deep sleep," Jiraiya said.

Naruto sat up on his bed with untrusting eyes. He scanned the small room for Sasuke's presense and was relieved to find that he was back in the inn room. Rubbing his eyes, he wondered how he had gotten back to the inn.

"Jiraiya-sama, did you see…" Naruto's voice got deathly quiet, "did you see Sasuke?"

"Huh?" The sennin looked at Naruto questioningly. "No, I didn't. Why, did he come here?"

"N-no," Naruto's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I could've sworn I saw him in the forest."

"Er, Naruto, you were here all this time. I only left to take a bath for ten minutes, so unless you went out to the forest and back again, I think you fell asleep."

"Oh," Naruto said, still confused. "I thought I went out to get some ramen. Maybe I did fall asleep."

"You probably did, idiot," Jiraiya sighed. "Go wash up, and I'll show you around town. Tomorrow we start training."

"Okay," Naruto agreed lazily and sighed, still troubled by the hazy visions of Uchiha Sasuke.

Jiraiya watched the young nin close the door after him before sighing loudly. Little did Naruto know that Jiraiya had used Henge no Jutsu to transform into Sasuke before knocking the poor kid out. The sennin rubbed the back of his neck with his fingers and thought deeply on Naruto's unexpected reaction to "Sasuke's" appearance. He only wanted to find out how Naruto would react to seeing Sasuke, and it just as bad as he had expected. Somehow, he would have to figure a way to toughen up Naruto so that he would never cower or freeze up at the sight of Uchiha.

"We have a lot of training to do…" the sennin mumbled to himself as he waited for the blond boy to finish up.

* * *

AN: You all thought that was Sasuke out to kill Naruto, right? Just Jiraiya scheming. So, I used writer's license again. Agonized isn't a verb, amongst other things. Alright, I won't be near a computer for a month, so I'm hoping to see lots and lots of reviews to get me on the roll again in August. Sorry, but you'll have to wait till then for the next chapter so review now, wait later.


	9. Spring is Falling

AN: Warning, this chapter gets racy at the end! Little kids, read at your own discretion. Actually, little kids shouldn't even be reading this, but I can't really stop you people, can I? So if you read, please review and let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is welcomed. Cursing and flames are not.

* * *

****

**Chapter IX: Spring is Falling**

Once delicate fingers gently held a well worn photograph that was fading at the edges. A questioning digit glided over faces of the past, two of which were grinning while the other two scowling. A slight smile graced dry, pink lips, a visual mark of remembrance.

Sakura carefully put the photograph back into its little black frame. She had always brought it out with her on missions for good luck, but now it was time for it to go back into the drawer where it would be safe again. Her smile gradually lost its gleam and faded from her lips before she lied down on her soft, pink-blanketed bed. With arms folded behind her head, she stared at the ceiling in retrospect. Random vestiges of backwardly chronological moments played in her mind from the time she had felt like she had fit in, had belonged.

'Naruto...Sasuke...what happened to us?'

Cloudy visions of two young boys, one laughing, the other frowning, both holding unimaginable pain inside, occupied the girl's mind. She had always looked up to the duo, had admired them for their will and determination. They were always doing their best to achieve their goals while she had only stared at their backs while they stood far ahead of her, looking ahead to the morning sun.

However, ironically enough, Naruto and Sasuke always worked together to, in the end, try and outdo each other. Perhaps a ghost of a smile appeared on her blank face just then at the thought of all the fights her two most beloved comrades had had with one another. Those were indeed the most enjoyable albeit difficult moments in her life. Although she had been in constant struggle with her low self-esteem and the coming of adolescence, she had felt at ease, even comfortable being around the two boys with polar opposite personalities.

Sakura found herself chuckling. She reminisced on how she used to think she'd be in love with Sasuke till the end of time. "Ah, I was young and stupid..." she thought aloud, smiling softly. There was no denying that what she had felt was love at the time, but it was still amusing to think about, years after it had long faded away.

That very moment, she wished things would go back to how they used to be. She would be the same old obnoxious Sakura who'd have a better-than-thou attitude towards Naruto, while he'd be the same loudmouth idiot. And Sasuke...well he'd just be Sasuke. But she knew, too well now, that he had changed. From last she saw, he was smiling.

_Sasuke had smiled._

It was news to Sakura to see her usually frowning friend smile so openly and freely. But the smile hadn't been for her. No, when she saw him, she felt like she had seen something that wasn't meant for her eyes. Something that she had stolen. 'Twas only a few weeks ago that she had stumbled upon that somehow secretive sight, before Naruto and Sasuke had gone off to pay the Hidden Sand Village a visit. Now, things were different after _something_ had happened, judging by what she had heard from Kakashi today. He hadn't even let her see Sasuke.

Just what was going on?

And what about Naruto? Why had he decided to leave again? He had just been on a trip with Sasuke, and yet...he hadn't seemed worried when she had asked him about Sasuke.

If anything bothered Sakura the most, it was being left in the dark and out of the picture. She then vowed to herself that she would either figure out what was going on or find out for herself.

'Naruto's determination must be rubbing off on me,' Sakura smiled again, except this time she was more at ease and confident.

"Mom!" she called out of her room.

"What is it, Sakura?" her mother asked from down the hall.

"I...I need to talk to you about something. Are you busy now?"

"No. I'll be right there."

"Okay."

Suddenly, a voice scolded her, 'Loneliness...That's on a whole other level of sadness compared to being yelled at by parents.'

"Sakura, what is i-" Struck speechless, her mother only smiled with a tad bit of confusion when her daughter, out of the blue, hugged her. "Is everything alright?"

Sakura shook her head while memorizing the feel of her mother's comforting arms around her. She stepped back and said, "There's something really important I want to talk with you about." Inhaling a deep breath, she regained her courage, "It's about Sasuke, me, and..." hesitating with nervous anticipation, she firmly said, "...and Naruto."

* * *

Naruto couldn't remember feeling as comfortable and secure as he did at that moment. He and Jiraiya had only been in town for a few days, yet he already had new friends to talk to. Just two nights ago, he had socialized with some local kids whose regular hangout was at the ramen shop, which was fine by him. It seemed like no matter where he went he only saw friendly faces and, to his surprise, girls checking him out. 

That night, a local town festival was going to take place on top of the mountain to welcome in the spring. No other place held that festival except the towns on that particular mountain chain. So, after training with Jiraiya, Naruto found himself following his new friends up the trail to experience a culture completely different from Konoha's.

Once they reached the top, Naruto was stunned by all the people dressed in colorful outfits, the women in pink and the men in green. The trailhead was large enough to accommodate numerous rows of stands and vendors selling food and firecrackers. Oddly-shaped lanterns hung from the corners of every booth and crisscrossed above the heads of countless of people. Little children were running around in decorative animal masks, chasing each other.

Naruto shifted a bit, looked around, and tugged on his dark-colored jacket, being the anomaly amongst the sea of bright colors. Yet, his companions happily pushed and pulled him along through the dense crowd and had him try all sorts of new foods, from spicy meats on sticks to sweet deserts. Eventually, this inevitably led to an incredibly horrendous stomach ache.

"Ah, enough, enough. I'm full already," Naruto groaned when a sticky rice bun was shoved into his face. He waved his hands side-to-side in front of his face to emphasize his reluctance to eat the desert. His new friends laughed jokingly and patted him on the back.

"Oh, it's time to see the dances! Come on, Naruto!" a girl called to him when the crowd began to rush.

People began pushing by in their excitement, and Naruto tried holding onto the girl's hand but lost her when a couple bumped into them. The girl waved at him to follow, but he couldn't catch up to his her or the rest of his friends and just rushed to the side to let the crowd pass. Eventually, the trailhead was left with only a few stragglers and vendors who were already packing up or resting to take a breather, eat some dinner, or have a smoke. Naruto smiled to himself, and for once, felt comfortable being by himself in a strange place.

He leaped up the flights of wooden stairs that led into the woods. After going a fair distance uphill, he could see the flashes of lights and the sounds of people laughing up ahead; he knew he was getting close. Yet, there was still a crowd waiting to sit lined up in front, so he ran off the trail and decided to attend the performance, ninja style. Speeding to the nearest tree, he jumped up and easily ran up the trunk. Leaping from branch to branch, he found himself a large maple tree to sit in and enjoy the view from afar.

Suddenly, a voice and a waving hand in the mass of people caught his eye. One of his friends had seen him in the tree, and he felt a blush creep along his cheeks in embarrassment. The girl who had recognized him pushed her way through the crowd till she was able to get to the base of the tree.

"Hey, what are you _doing_ up there?"

Naruto grinned goofily and replied, "Getting a good view?"

The girl frowned and stood akimbo. "And exactly _how_ did you get so high up?"

"It's called climbing."

"Well, can you help me up then? _I_ can't climb that high."

Naruto sighed in an exaggerated fashion and quickly made his way down the tree, which only added on to the girl's nervousness. 'So this is how non-ninja people are like. How tiresome.' He quickly shook his head upon realizing what he had just thought. 'What am I...turning into Shikamaru all of a sudden?'

After a few unsuccessful tries, Naruto managed to help the girl get onto the first large branch where he decided to stay put before the she had a nervous breakdown. She squirmed uncomfortably in front of him and clung onto the bark as if she was going to fall off any second. For a second, she reminded him of someone he knew.

"Y-y'know, I don't think it's safe to sit up here."

Naruto laughed jovially, "You're not going to fall off."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because," Naruto impulsively put his arms around the girl's waist. Immediately, he began to blush at his thoughtless action. The girl felt warm and soft against him, a very foreign feeling to Naruto. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not. He wasn't even sure if he had instinctively held her to get her to shut up or comfort her. Either way, she apparently felt secure enough to lean back into him.

Below them, the hushed clutter of voices quieted when the host of the show walked on stage. She was a slight girl in a ruffled pink dress with a sweet smile on her face and a wide pink ribbon in her hair. She spoke into a microphone and politely asked everyone for their attention before introducing the first performer.

Many dances later, Naruto was left quite shocked and impressed. The village had a very unique style of dancing; although each dance was presented differently, the rhythm and melody of inaudible music was always amplified with the stomping of feet and clapping of hands while a lone instrument would accompany the dancers. Everyone's dress consisted of different shades of pink and green and both men and women of all ages performed. It almost seemed like each different age group was presenting a story from past springs they had experienced throughout their years. The elderly would dance slowly and carefully, but ancient strength could be seen in every one of their movements and gestures. Youth would have lively, quick movements in anticipation of becoming adults. Luckily, the girl was with Naruto to explain the stories behind each dance, though the expression through the medium itself needed no explication.

The last dancer was about to come on stage. Naruto still had his arms around the girl, and was beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable but did not want to let go in order not to offend her. He yawned a little; it was getting late, and he was glad there was only one more dance to go, although he had enjoyed every one of them thus far. It was at that moment that Naruto realized the crowd below had gotten deathly quiet.

Then, the soft pulsations of a drum, barely audible at first, echoed into the crisp air. The curtains drew open with a whoosh, and a lone figure dressed in a dark green hue was crouched down on his knees with his arms diagonally outstretched and palms flat on the floor of the wooden stage. He began to lift up his torso and his arms, still as if reaching out towards the audience, then the nightsky. His knees then started tapping on the floor to the beat, slightly, gently, then as he arose, harder, and more urgently till the beats traveled down to his legs to the balls of his feet which hit the ground with such force that Naruto felt like strings in his heart were being pulled from the reverberations. Suddenly he jumped and landed with a loud thump, his hands wavering uncertainly in front of his body that was leaning to the side and marginally forward at the same time. Then, a fiery light flared from his loose garments, and his wide, silky sleeves billowed as if a strong wind were blowing them upwards. He began to twirl and contort his body while moving and stomping his bare feet to an intense rhythm.

Naruto, was fascinated.

The boy's movements were fluid as water, as quick as fire, and his face was like a perfect dewdropped morning at dusk. Naruto couldn't understand how his clothes seemed to morph about his body, taking on various abstract shapes with such brilliant light that changed into various pastel hues. Naruto, simply, could not take his eyes off the dancing figure, could not blink for a second to miss seeing the magician's most pulchre art.

Then, the dance ended. The fire had died out and the boy. The boy had collapsed.

Naruto's heart jumped up in his chest. He was in shock. After a few blind seconds, he realized that no one was doing anything. No one was rushing to aid the boy signify that that was the end of the dance. They just started shuffling out of the area in complete silence, which confused Naruto even more.

"Hey, are you ok?" the girl asked in a low whisper. She had obviously felt his start.

"Um...yeah," Naruto whispered harshly back. "What the hell just happened?"

"What? Oh, the dance ended."

"That was it?"

"Yeah. He tends to end his dances dramatically. Talented isn't he? That's why no one claps. It's both out of shock and respect."

"Why doesn't he get up then?"

"I'm not sure. He likes to wait till everyone leaves."

"Oh."

"Yeah..." the girl wriggled around and Naruto let go of her with a sigh.

"Hey...do you think..."

"Do I think what?"

"Do you think I could meet him?"

"Only if he wants to meet you."

Naruto nodded his head in understanding. And jumped off the branch. He then held out his arms to help the girl climb down the trunk, but when she hugged him, he stiffened up and did not hug her back. Smiling, the girl shrugged and gestured him to follow her back to the trail.

"Come on, there's a party after this."

The boy's eyes bugged out of his head. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, and you're coming!"

Naruto groaned when the rest of his friends found the two and dragged him off again.

* * *

To say Naruto was good at dancing would be a highly misconceived notion. To say Naruto had a sense of rhythm while on the dance floor would also be quite obviously the opposite to even a blind person. So, that only left a very confused Naruto wondering...just what the hell was he doing at a nightclub? 

Hard bass lines pounded into his ears and swaying bodies constantly bumped into him. He was awkwardly trying to move his feet correctly after his friends futilely tried to show him exactly how to dance. Step one. Step two. Step one. Step two.

Deciding that dancing was nothing like training, and much more boring to begin with, he threaded his way out of the mass of people to the bar. It was too hot below anyways, even though he had shed his jacket at the inn before going out again for the night. Jiraiya was still nowhere to be seen, but Naruto wasn't worried.

Laws, as he had discovered quickly, were rather lax in this town, so he ordered a beer and sat down facing the crowd and watched his friends as they laughed and smiled and danced together. Smirking to himself, he realized the whole dance floor really just looked like one big orgy. He wondered how he had been convinced to come to such a place.

He chugged the last of his beer and didn't notice when another person sat down next to him. Oddly enough, he felt like his mind was shutting down but his body wasn't until he felt a slight tap on his shoulder. Looking up, he met distinctively green eyes that were shadowed in the dim colored lightings of the club. His clothes were different, tighter, more form-fitting, and black.

"H-hey! You're that guy!"

"Yeah," the boy smiled casually. "I'm that guy. So, wanna dance?"

Naruto's eyes widened and he almost choked. "Are we allowed to? I mean, is that kind of thing alright?"

The boy gave him a strange look. "Of course it's alright." He slid off his chair and waited for Naruto who hesitantly followed the boy back into the crowd.

"I'm not good at dancing," Naruto shouted above the loud music.

"You don't have to be," the boy shouted back. He then moved closer to Naruto and put his hands on the other's hips. Swaying slowly, he guided Naruto in rhythm and held him closer till their legs were weaved against each other.

Naruto gasped at the warm contact between his legs, and hands much stronger than they had appeared to be, were pressed against his back while hot breath blew against his neck and receded to the hard beats booming all around him. Grasping the boy's hips, he speeded up the tempo and drove their bodies harder together. He closed his eyes, feeling pure ecstasy shooting up from below straight into his head. His lips parted slighted; his heavy eyelids drew apart when he felt a shift of warmth and he lazily looked at the other boy before he felt the other's lips upon his. The feeling was different, yet completely familiar. It was only when he tilted his head and invited the other in more openly that he decided to stop thinking altogether.

* * *

AN: Before you all click that Review button and angrily ask me what I'm doing and why I'm pairing Naruto up with original characters...I'm not. I've got everything planned out. And if you reread this chapter carefully, you'll notice a _lot_ of signs and hints littered in every paragraph and bit of dialogue as to what's going to happen next. 


	10. Trap!

AN: I don't know if I have to say this or not, but this fic is not closely following the manga. So far, I've hit things pretty much on target, but I rather not try to predict what's going to happen next. With that said, I'll be using the manga as a reference but not a guide.

* * *

**Chapter X: Trap!**

The sun was slowly rising above the horizon, scattering the pink and grays of the early morning clouds. Naruto, after estimating the time, was sure he'd hear hell from Jiraiya when he got back. Sluggishly, he walked with his friends, who were still energetically chatting, down the street, his steps automatic and numb, crunching on the gritty ground. Crisp, fresh air stung his nostrils after he had breathed in all the stuffed up air in the club. Surprisingly, despite all his stamina, he felt like collapsing at any second.

"Man, you two were _totally_ sucking face!" a guy teased Naruto.

"Shut up," the girl who had hugged Naruto awkwardly snapped back angrily.

"Hey, it's no big deal. Every girl in this damn town has been seduced by his dancing…But still, Naruto, y'shoulda told us y'liked mackin' guys-"

"Shut _up!"_

"No, it's ok." All eyes were on Naruto. "I didn't want to tell you 'cause where I come from…behavior like that is unacceptable."

"…Ah."

No one else said another word. Glancing at the girl, Naruto felt almost guilty for what he had done. But it was all over with now. It was better for them to know the truth, Naruto decided; he was tired of running away.

Drudging into the inn, he lifted one hand up to signal goodbye to his friends and nodded druggedly to the innkeeper before heading up the stairs to his room. He turned the key with slight apprehension before pushing the door open as carefully as he could as to not make a sound. Peering in, his apprehension was met with the sight of his teacher sprawled, stomach down, in his usual daily garb on one of the twin beds in a deep sleep. His loud snoring sounded from an agape mouth and filled the room; Naruto almost winced. He wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.

Tip toeing into the bathroom, Naruto turned on the shower and quickly stripped himself of his clothing that stunk of cigarette smoke and sweat. Tossing his dirty clothes into a pile, he stepped under the shower spray and let the warm water wash and cleanse his skin. Frowning, he turned the dial on the shower head, adjusting the various modes till the water shot out at different intervals like fingers gently tapping on his skin. Sighing, he closed his eyes and let his hair get wet until clusters of blond strands surrounded his face, acting as paths for rivulets of water to column down to his feet, each diverging before hitting the smooth tiled floor and splattering into tiny crown-like bursts.

Naruto turned around, his hair still dripping along his face, and let the water massage his back. The soothing pattern tapping on his skin reminded him of that guy's hands…'Damn, what the hell was his name anyways? I can't believe I danced with him in front of all my friends. I'm lucky they're all so open-minded. Still. I shouldn't have done that. I feel like I'm cheating on- no, y'know, there's nothin' wrong with wanting some action every now and then. It was nothing. We only danced…and hooked up. Whatever. It was just for one night.'

Naruto hastily scrubbed his lean body before rinsing off the suds. After turning off the water, he grabbed a towel and rubbed himself dry. The mirror above the sink was slightly fogged, so Naruto used the palm of his hand to rub off the condensation.

"Damn," he muttered under his breath. "I still can't believe he asked me to dance." 'Well, I am in the best shape I've ever been in.'

He inspected his reflection, from his azure blue eyes and his signature whisker marks to his well-defined six pack and ripped arms. He quickly ran his hands through his hair and ruffled it up a bit. A lop-sided grin formed on his face.

Then, after noticing the bruise-colored bags forming under his eyes and how his vision began to swing in and out of focus, he remembered how tired he was and quickly put on his pajamas and brushed his teeth. While shutting off the bathroom light, he glanced at Jiraiya, who was still asleep, before tip toeing back to his bed. Once he dove under his covers, he took another cautious look at Jiraiya and could barely restrain from laughing at the old man who still had his mouth wide open and was snoring loudly.

It didn't take Naruto more than a minute to fall asleep. It wasn't even five minutes before a strong hand shook his shoulder. Naruto batted it off till a loud voice began yelling at him.

"Hey, brat, it's time to get up! We're going to miss the early bird breakfast special unless you get your lazy ass out of bed."

No mistake. The voice belonged to Jiraiya.

Naruto groaned. "What the…what _time_ is it?"

"Seven o'clock, not that early! So you better get up now."

"Nooooo," Naruto whined and pulled the covers over his head.

Jiraiya frowned. "What time did you get back?"

There was an incoherent, mumbled reply.

"What?"

More mumbling.

"_What?_" asked the loud voice again and right above the blanket, next to his ear.

There was a pause. Then, "Alright, alright," Naruto sat up, throwing the sheets and blankets off of him, "I'm up. Let's get that breakfast special…" Naruto stood up and walked to the closet while saying in a sotto voice, "so you can hit on that waitress again."

Jiraiya glared at his student suspiciously. "What was that? Well at least I didn't get back at six thirty in the damn morning without having told my teacher of my whereabouts."

Naruto froze.

"Yeah, that's right. You were pretty loud coming in. And your hair's still wet. We've got to work on your communication skills."

The other ninja quietly gathered his uniform and turned to face his teacher. "Okay, I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I was going. I'll leave you a note next time."

"Nope! What if someone searching for you finds that note? You better tell me where you're going and who you're going out with to my face. And this face is pretty distinguishable," Jiraiya cracked a smug grin, "so no excuses next time. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto sleepily walked to the bathroom again, clothes in his hands. It would be a long, long day.

After checking out of the inn, the two ninja went into a small, bustling restaurant to get their breakfast special of hot sticky rice buns and tea. Jiraiya, unsurprisingly, flirted outrageously with the waitress who only blushed and smiled in hopes of getting a large tip. Naruto snickered at his teacher. He looked around and although he expected it, some anxious part of him did not want him to see only the faces of strangers. For a second, he thought over this tugging feeling inside him while picking at some rice grains that had stuck on his plate.

"Ok, time to go!" a loud voice interrupted his reverie.

"Where are we going exactly?"

"You'll see when we get there."

* * *

'I really liked that village. It's too bad we had to leave so early. The trail over here is really beautiful, especially when I can see across the valley. But it's really quiet aside from our footsteps, so it's hard not to think about home. Sometimes I feel like talking about anything, just to end the quiet. But Perv-sennin will just tell me to shut up. Maybe it's better this way.

'I can't stop thinking about him. Whenever I think about that guy at the club, I feel real guilty. I feel dirty. But why? Sometimes I want to punch myself or something because out here, I should be able to do what I want. In fact, I have every damn right to.

'So why am I feeling so guilty now? It's no fair, dammit. I hate this.'

"Yo, brat. Time for lunch!"

Jiraiya and Naruto went down a short branch of the trail that led down to a river. Once on flat ground, they took off their packs while Naruto mechanically began to take out the rations; he was still lost in his thoughts. Jiraiya, on the meanwhile, stalked off down the river in a very suspicious manner, but Naruto barely gave it a thought. After years of training with the older man, the younger ninja had gotten used to his strange quirks and disturbingly accurate sense of "bishoujo radar." He had supposed it just had to come with writing perverted novels for over a decade.

While finishing preparations, Naruto looked far out between the trees which were beginning to bud. 'Sasuke…I wonder if he still thinks about me as much as I think about him. What is he doing right now? Where is he? Maybe Sakura found him…I wonder if she did. She probably did, knowing her. So then they can be happy together, finally, now that I'm not in the way. Ah, for fuck's sake, what are you talking about? Whatever. Those two should just get together so I can end my misery. Or rather, he'll end my misery for me. I really have to stop thinking about this.'

Naruto looked at his handiwork of tuna and peanut butter sandwiches. Surely, everyone else would think of them as something gross, inedible, and something Naruto would definitely make. He grinned; well, they were certainly healthier to eat than cup noodles. Besides, he and Jiraiya certainly did share odd tastes when it came down to choosing foods.

Speaking of which, where was his wandering, perverted teacher? Naruto frowned at remembering what Jiraiya had told him about working on communications skills. What a hypocrite.

Naruto stood up, created a shadow clone to guard the food, and tried to sense Jiraiya's chakra. He could sense his teacher far down by the river and walked in that direction till he heard the voices of laughing women. Looking further, he saw a squatting, white-maned man, peering through the bushes, with a small notebook in hand. Suddenly, a wicked idea came to mind and Naruto smiled mischievously. Creeping up noiselessly behind his teacher, he quickly did a few hand seals before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Aiiiieeeeee!"

Jiraiya immediately jumped and turned around to be greeted with the sight of a young, well-endowed brunette dressed only in a towel. His eyes immediately honed in on her chest, leaving him feeling faint.

"Pervert!" she screamed again.

The other women who had been bathing in the river quickly ran for their clothing by the bank. "Now wait," Jiraiya looked between the angry women, "I can explain! See…I'm a world-renown artist and have been searching far and wide for the most beautiful women to model for me. And well, you, my dear," he turned towards the brunette, "are the epitome of beauty."

"Really?" the girl asked shyly.

"Yes! But I'm afraid you cannot be my model because you seem to…" Jiraiya flung out a kunai from his pouch into the brunette's chest. She was immediately replaced with a cloud of smoke, "…be lacking in substance."

He could feel a rush of air before dodging a kunai aimed for his heart. His attacker had been no other than one of the two ladies he had been spying on - both were now dressed and armed. He ducked out of sight into the bushes then leaped out with two kunai in hand, aiming one at each of his targets.

"I don't mind beautiful women fighting over me, but fighting them is a different story!" With that, he threw both kunai and landed gracefully atop the water of the flowing river and kept his feet moving with the current.

One kunai hit the target as planned while the other woman, a blonde, had dodged the attack and remained unscathed. Both fighters stopped and stared at the brunette who had been hit in between the eyes. She had had a wide-eyed blank stare, dead as she was already, and gravity pulled her body down into the water where her blood mixed into the current.

"You…You monster!" The blonde was infuriated and demanded, "Who are you?"

Jiraiya smirked. "I'm one of the Legendary Three. Still want to fight?"

The woman did not hesitate to run atop the water to attack Jiraiya with her sword. He deftly swung his body to the side and blocked her attack with the edge of his kunai and counterattacked with a stab to her flank, but she narrowly dodged it and leapt into the air to swing a kick. Jiraiya leaned back to avoid her foot, but as she landed again, another kick ensued to his chest which he blocked with both arms.

"You're not bad," he smirked before running upstream.

"I'll kill you!" she yelled, running after him.

He shouted over his shoulder, "Why do women always- whoa!" he hardly had enough time to create a shield around himself before a large wave engulfed him.

Suddenly, a blade shot out through the water and he clapped his hands together to capture the attack. 'Almost fooled me,' he mused and pushed the sword away before performing hand seals and shouting a command. Water gathered to his side and formed a large phoenix which cried out and lunged towards his opponent. The previous wave subsided, and Jiraiya was once again back in the air, surveying the phoenix as its tail went back into the river, creating a huge splash. The blonde woman was missing.

Then, he quickly dove towards the water as several kunai whizzed above his head. Unsurprisingly, the blonde was on his tail and lunged towards him with one kunai in her hand. Once he neared the river, his feet pushed off the surface and he threw a shuriken out which hit her kunai before she could stop herself from diving. As she got up, she found her kunai and threw out her arm just as Jiraiya's kunai touched her neck. Hers, snug against his neck, had not punctured his skin yet.

"Looks like checkmate for us both, Perv-Sennin," Jiraiya smirked and transformed into Naruto. He lowered his arm and put away his kunai while the blonde did the same.

"Not bad, not bad if I do say so myself. We've both proven to be brilliant actors," the blonde remarked and turned into Jiraiya. "But what was with the elaborate set up? I originally thought it was an enemy trap, so I used your Sexy no Jutsu to blend in!"

"Haha," Naruto laughed triumphantly. "That is my undefeatable move! Only I am able to resist it." Jiraiya shook his head; perhaps he had overestimated his student's intelligence. "As for the set up, I knew you would always go looking for cute girls no matter where we were," Jiraiya laughed guiltily, "so I put clones by the river as we walked down the trail to see if you'd fall for the trap. But then you tried to trick me by making Gamakichi transform into you!"

"That was my genius! And that toad wanted to try being me for a while, since I of course am worthy of such admiration. What did you do with the poor kid anyways? And…" a lecherous look appeared on his face, "who were the cute girls you cloned?"

Naruto sniffed, "I used my ultimate jutsu combination to defeat Gamakichi. First I created a clone then had it Sexy no Jutsu. That put him out like a light! Then, I sent him home and used Henge before destroying the clone. As for the girls…that's none of your business." He walked downstream with a disappointed Jiraiya in tow. "And was she believable?" he gestured at the floating body half on the bank, half in the river.

"…almost fooled me for a second."

"You mean it wasn't convincing?" Naruto frowned and released the jutsu which turned the body into a piece of driftwood.

"No, it was good," Jiraiya patted Naruto's back. "You've come a long way with your clones. I am impressed!" He gave Naruto a toothy grin. "It would have fooled anyone else!"

"Bah, stop lying! You know you believed she was real," Naruto grumbled. Then, just in time, his stomach reminded him that it was still empty. "Ah, that's right! I made lunch when you wandered off. And don't talk about improving communication with me you damn hypocrite!" Naruto started heading back up the trail with his teacher.

"Ha! That's why I can't ever be the Hokage," Jiraiya defended himself. "I'm glad you remembered what I said, for once. And you know I do not lead by example!" 'Very good, Naruto,' Jiraiya smiled inwardly. 'You're becoming very sharp.'

"It'll be the end of the world when you start leading by example," Naruto muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing!" Naruto said then mumbled, "Deaf old man."

Jiraiya shot his student a suspicious look before they reached their lunch site. Naruto's clone was still guarding the two sandwiches obediently when Naruto released the jutsu. The two then proceeded to feast on their sandwiches like there was no tomorrow.

* * *

"We're here!" Jiraiya announced. Naruto looked skeptically at the scene before him.

Small huts of sticks, bark, and hide were built on a slope which led down into the ocean. People were dressed primitively in simple shirts and skirts made of rough fabric or furs. Everyone wore sandals and was working at some task or other.

"Don't tell me we're living here for the rest of the month!" Naruto protested.

"For two weeks we are. And don't be insulting these nice people," Jiraiya hit his student over the head. "There's a reason why we're here besides to train, which I will tell you after we settle in."

Naruto begrudgingly followed Jiraiya into one of the huts where his teacher exchanged a few words with a local. Then, Jiraiya gestured for Naruto to unpack his belongings.

"So where are we exactly? And who are these people?"

"Eastern coastline of the Fire Country. This village belongs to the Wasaka clan. These people live off the land and the ocean alone. They are also fierce protectors of the coast since the Hidden Mist Village is nearby. Naruto, understand this: we are traveling not only to train but also for you to experience the country you're living in and the kinds of people living in it."

Naruto nodded.

"Come, let's go to the beach. I will begin my lesson there."

"But our stuff…"

"We have nothing locals would want. They have everything they need and want nothing more." Naruto was still reluctant to leave the lockless hunt, but trusted his teacher and followed him outside.

The sun was low in the sky, leaving blazing trails of orange and red running across the sparsely clouded dome and out of sight. Men down by the shoreline were pulling in boats with heavy ropes across their shoulders. Others were unloading fish and fire-lining them up the slope where women were sorting them for various meals and selling to other villages. Children were cooped up in a longhouse, undoubtedly learning a lesson from an elder.

Naruto observed all the activities with a keen and thoughtful eye. Life here was not as daunting as he had readily believed. In fact, it was not unlike life at home, where ninjas still had to take care of daily necessities and their families between missions. Naruto smiled, slightly more at ease as he watched his teacher, dressed brightly and out of place amongst the tanned locals, greet them with his usual glee. Then, he smiled brightly upon reaching the beach, leaning into and feeling the salty breeze against his skin. Giving Jiraiya a daring look, he ran with arms wide open into the ocean, his teacher smiling after him.

* * *

AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter; it was very hard to write, which's why I took so long. Chapter ten is basically a set up for the next few since Naruto will be learning a lot of new skills and lessons. On the other hand, the next chapter will focus back on Sasuke and Sakura since they've been out of the picture for a while now.


	11. The Old Sasuke

AN: So it's been what, three years since I've updated? The Naruto arc has really progressed. Keep in mind, everything before this chapter happened before we found out how Kakashi got his Sharingan as well as Naruto's first encounter with Sasuke. I will try to keep the charas IC with the new storyline…but my arc will still go down a different path. I hope my writing style has improved – I tried to focus on character development through plenty of metaphors. R&R. Many thanks.

* * *

**Chapter XI: The Old Sasuke**

"Yahh!" Naruto stretched his arms high above his head.

Night had fallen and the moon, a crescent in the misty blue, was shining above the sandy shores of the Fire Country. Naruto lied sprawled on the sand, the bottom of his pants soaked from training on unsteady waves. He and Jiraiya had covered all they could for the day, and now he had time to enjoy alone.

The locals had all gone to sleep soon after the sun had set, but Naruto, despite his exhaustion, could not bring himself to bed yet. He had never seen so many stars in the sky as he did now. Clusters upon clusters shone bright and clear as day, like many holes punctured by needles into a fabric-covered dome. Some were brighter than others, distant planets no doubt.

Naruto listened to the waves crash and crawl up the shore then recede, continuously pulling and dragging layers of sand. He walked up past the tide line and relished in the feeling of water gushing, splashing around his feet as the tide came in. His eyebrows rose in surprise when the sand beneath his feet rushed out, causing immediate imbalance. If the outbound tide had been stronger, he was sure it would have conquered him and dragged him out to sea. Instead, he laughed and regained solid footing. The wind blew the salty ocean air about his face and he closed his eyes allowing himself to simply smell, to simply feel. In that moment, he had the whole world to himself. A phantom glow of warmth cushioned his back and hugged his waist like a pair of strong arms, and he leaned back just as the tide receded. This time he almost fell.

'I have to stop daydreaming,' Naruto opened his eyes and sank his feet into the sand. 'When will I wake up?'

He quickly scuffled away from the oncoming waters, trembling involuntarily from the cold. His feet felt frozen now that they vulnerable to the cold air. When had the temperature dropped? Looking back, he bid his last farewell to the night and to the ocean, the temptress that she was. Digging his toes into the small dunes, he made his way up the hilly shore with each determined step.

'I'm tired of thinking about him,' he eyed his hut warily as he approached it. 'It's time to move on. The dream's over.'

* * *

Sakura quickly brushed herself off and sized up her appearance in the small mirror of the bathroom. She and Tsunade had been experimenting with some new antidotes, some of which had not turned out as successfully as they had hoped. She sniffed her shirt and wrinkled her nose at the odd smell, but she couldn't help it. Changing out of her uniform was simply out of the question.

'Well, here it goes,' she gave herself a half-hearted smile. 'Time to check up on Sasuke again.'

It had been a week since she last saw Naruto. Thanks to the tip Naruto gave her on Sasuke's whereabouts, she had literally bribed Akiba with gifts from the local pet store to get him and Akamaru to track Kakashi's home. After all, she couldn't harness a dog's ability to smell out the once proclaimed missing nin. However, he had sent her back home that day. This time, she hoped he would let her see Sasuke, if only for a minute.

She was about to knock on her former teacher's door when it swung open.

"Sakura! Thanks for visiting." Kakashi's creepily smiling face suddenly popped up in front of her and she jumped back in fear. She quickly recomposed herself and gave a hesitant smile back.

"I still can't believe you beat me to the door, Kakashi-sensei."

"Expect the unexpected," Kakashi explained. "Come on inside."

"Thanks," Sakura fidgeted. "So am I allowed to see Sasuke this time?"

"Hm, let me go see if he's around," and with that, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Sakura stood, feeling slightly awkward alone in the empty foyer, surrounded by closed doors. She held two bento boxes under her arm, one for her teacher and one for her teammate. Naruto would have been jealous if he knew Sakura had made lunch for Sasuke. She smiled, imagining the incredulous look that would grace Naruto's face and all the names he would call Sasuke.

Sasuke.

"Sakura."

She jumped. "Ah. Kakashi-sensei."

"He's out in back, taking a break from training. Follow me." Instead of leading her down the hallway, Kakashi walked out the front door and went around the house.

Upon rounding a corner, Sakura's heart jumped in her chest. Sitting on a stone bench was Sasuke in his new, entirely black uniform. He was looking off in the distance and didn't turn his head to acknowledge them. Although it had only been a few weeks since she last saw him, he seemed to have aged even more. He wore a worn out but troubled look on his face.

"Sasuke-kun."

He turned to her, his face back to its usual blankness. "Sakura."

"Uh…I-I brought you and Kakashi-sensei lunch."

"Sakura. You shouldn't have," Kakashi piped in, happily taking a wrapped box from her offering hand.

Sakura scoffed. "Knowing you both for so long, I can't imagine either of you actually know how to cook. Especially not you, Kakashi-sensei." Sasuke accepted the box, nodded thanks, and began unknotting the fabric cover.

"Aha, that's where you are wrong. I haven't taught either of you this, but jutsus come in handy for cooking."

Sakura's face blanched. "I…I don't want to know," Sakura weakly stated.

"Well, if you two don't mind, I'm going to go inside and wash the box."

Sakura's face blanched again. When had her teacher finished eating his lunch? He never failed to surprise her.

Sakura stood by the bench, not knowing whether or not it was alright for her to sit down. Before, she would have sat next to Sasuke without hesitation and snuggle up since he was sitting in the middle of the bench. Instead, she chose to stand by him and watch him eat.

"So…" she tried to smile, "how is your training going?"

Sasuke chewed and swallowed without looking up. "Fine."

"Ah. Is living with Kakashi troublesome?"

He grabbed for another morsel of food with his chopsticks. "No." 'Nothing I can't deal with in time,' he thought.

"So…uh…I saw Naruto the other day." She noticed Sasuke's hand pause, chopsticks held briefly in midair before picking up a clump of rice. "He seemed to be doing well. He's training with Jiraiya-sama now."

Sasuke didn't seem to pay any attention to her now. Instead, he cleaned up whatever remained in the box and put the top back on.

"Sasuke…I know something happened between you and Naruto on your trip. If you…if you ever want to talk about it, I am here. You know you can trust me."

"Sakura. Leave."

She was stunned for a second. Taken aback by his rudeness, she retorted, "You know Sasuke, you've always shut us out of your life. If you prefer to be alone all the time, fine, but maybe for once it wouldn't hurt to open yourself up to someone else. We've known each other all our lives and it's…it's not right the way you treat me and Naruto."

Sasuke sneered, "Like you treat him any better."

"That's in the past. I've…I've changed my view of Naruto. I thought you had too, but looks like you haven't."

"Don't try to patronize me. Whatever happened between us is none of your business. Don't bother asking anymore questions. Just leave."

Sakura exhaled in frustration and took back the used bento box. "Fine, keep pushing me away. One day you'll need us and we won't be there." She walked away with her head held high and shoulders squared only to keep the pain inside. She would never understand Sasuke.

"And I don't need comments from you either," Sasuke stood up and brushed off his pants. He knew Kakashi had eavesdropped on their whole conversation.

Kakashi popped up beside the bench. "It's too bad you sent her off so quickly. Now I have to remember to bring the box next time I see her."

"Hn."

After a thoughtful moment. "She's right, Sasuke."

"You're not one to talk."

"I don't regret having loved ones. It is nothing to regret."

"Why have weaknesses," Sasuke began examining the sharpness of his kunai, "when there is no point in losing more than you need to. There is no point being attached to other people."

"Sometimes, it is easier being alone," Kakashi agreed. "But, it is always nicer being around other people. We are social beings."

"Not all of us."

"You are not the exception, regardless of your exceptional learning abilities."

Satisfied that his weaponry was in order, Sasuke tucked them away into his pouch. "Here, I will talk to Sakura. But not now. I'm going to train."

"Ah. Remember, do not go off too far."

With that, Sasuke was off. Kakashi sighed, watching his student walk towards the woods. He wondered when Sasuke would talk to Sakura: after he had finished off Naruto or before? Meanwhile, Sasuke planned on how he would obtain the Mangekyou Sharingan. And whom he would use it on. Training shinobis to allow themselves to have emotions again was difficult if nearly impossible. But Kakashi had hope for his student. He had to have hope. For both Sasuke and Naruto's sakes.

* * *

Miles upon miles away, by the sea, Naruto rustled restlessly on his straw mat. He twisted and turned the thin sheet about him, sweat beading at his temples despite the cool night air. After not even getting an hour of sleep the night before and training all day, he should have passed out quickly. Instead, he reached into his backpack and revealed a bottle of pills. Popping one into his mouth, he hoped it would knock him out for a while. In time, his eyelids began to feel heavier and heavier. He felt himself falling into a deep sleep and hoped none of the nightmares he had dreamed in the past two weeks would reoccur. He could only hope. For his sake. And his sanity.

* * *

AN: That's it for now. Love it, hate it, critique is welcomed. I pretty much forgot the plans I had years ago, so I'm just making a new plot up as I go. Everyone's hiding secrets from each other. Until the next chapter. 


End file.
